October 12, 1995 Contact: Barbara McKenna (408/459-2495)

OCTOBER 28 CELEBRATION PLANNED FOR NEW BOOK ON HISTORY OF CHINESE AMERICAN WOMEN IN SAN FRANCISCO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--On October 28 several San Francisco community organizations will host an event celebrating the publication of a new book on the history of Chinese American women in San Francisco. The event will also honor three women's organizations and several of the women who play a central role in the book, titled Unbound Feet: A Social History of Chinese Women in San Francisco (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995).

Judy Yung, the book's author and an assistant professor of American studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will present a slide show in English and Chinese on Chinese women's history, followed by a tribute to the women she writes about in her book who will be in attendance. The event is sponsored by the University of California Press, the Chinese Cultural Foundation of San Francisco, and the Chinese Historical Society of America. The gathering, which is free and open to the public, runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on October 28 in the Chinese Cultural Center, 750 Kearny St., Third Floor, San Francisco. A reception and book signing will follow the presentation.

Yung is the daughter of Chinese immigrants herself, and her mother's story of life as a factory worker and mother of six children is one of the many in Yung's book. The names and biographies of some of the women who will attend the book party are listed below, as are the names of some organizations that were key in supporting Chinese American women in San Francisco.

For more information, the public may call the Chinese Cultural Center at (415) 986-1822.

For review copies of the book, contact Estrella Fichter at UC Press at (510) 642-4701.

(This release is also available on UC NewsWire, the University of California's electronic news service. To access by modem, dial 1- 209-244-6971.)

Profiles of Honorees at October 28 Book Party for Unbound Feet

Sue Ko Lee: Lee, 87, came to the U.S. when she was eight years old. She became active in labor organizing in 1938 while working as a buttonhole machine operator in a sewing factory. She participated in a 105-day strike against the factory and in the formation of the Chinese Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. She went on to serve as secretary for her local union and for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, working to improve conditions for Chinese seamstresses.

Law Shee Low: Low, 92, immigrated to the U.S. as a young bride in 1922. She took in sewing at home and then later went to work in a factory while raising eight children in a crowded tenement apartment. Low's story is typical of many women immigrating before World War II who worked in garment factories to keep their families financially solvent.

Eva Lowe: Lowe, 86, was born in the U.S. and raised in Fort Bragg, Calif. As a young adult, she was inspired by Chinese nationalism to become politically active. She joined the Chinese Students Association in San Francisco and made "soapbox" speeches in Chinatown condemning Japanese aggression in China. During the Great Depression she helped needy families apply for government relief. She was also active in the labor movement. For many years she volunteered for several San Francisco public service organizations.

Jade Snow Wong: Wong, 73, was born in San Francisco. The first Chinese American woman to achieve a successful career in ceramics and writing while raising a family of four children, she is the author of Fifth Chinese Daughter (New York: Harper & Row, 1965 and 1950; and, third edition, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1989), and No Chinese Stranger (New York: Harper & Row, 1975). She still operates a ceramics store and travel business in San Francisco and volunteers for several public service organizations.

Jesse Lee Yip: Yip, 70, was born in the U.S. She is one of the few Chinese women in San Francisco who served in the Women's Army Corps during World War II. Following the war she worked for 30 years as a secretary at the San Francisco Juvenile Hall. She currently volunteers for a number of Chinese public service organizations in San Francisco.

Alice Fong Yu: Yu, 90, was born in the U.S. In 1926 she became the first Chinese schoolteacher to be hired by the San Francisco school district. She also helped found the Square and Circle Club, the Chinese chapter of the Needlework Guild, and the Lake Tahoe Chinese Christian Conference. She was also active in the Chinese YWCA and the Chinese Historical Society of America. During World War II she coordinated a number of fashion shows as fund-raisers for the war effort and spearheaded a boycott of silk stockings.

Law Ying Yung: Yung, 82, is the author's mother. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1941 to join her husband. She worked in the Chinatown sewing factories while raising six children. Like many women of her generation, Yung came to the U.S. expecting to find a land of plenty and opportunity and instead labored for most of her life in a Chinatown sweatshop while raising a large family.

The Donaldina Cameron House: Established in 1874 as a shelter for Chinese women trying to escape a life of indentured prostitution, the organization is still active today, focusing its efforts on assisting Chinese American youths and battered women.

Chinese YWCA: Established in 1916, the Chinese Y provided Chinese American women with English classes, translation services, social activities, and help with employment, immigration, and domestic problems. Renamed the YWCA Clay Street Center in 1947, the organization still provides educational opportunities and social services to the community at large.

Square and Circle Club: Founded in 1924, the name of the organization comes from the Chinese coin and motto, "In deeds be square, in knowledge be all-around." The club engages in fund-raising for charity projects and community causes and advocacy for improving the conditions of Chinese Americans.

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