Chinese American

Zhang Hongtu Papers

APA Staff
Zhang Hongtu picDate Range: 1974 – 2011
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2011-08-05
Creator: Zhang, Hongtu (1943-)

History: Born in China’s Kansu Province in 1943, Zhang Hongtu studied at the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts in Beijing. The Chinese Civil War and the Cultural Revolution presented many difficult challenges to Zhang, not only because of his family’s Muslim background, but also because of shifting perceptions of artists and intellectuals. His schooling was cut short, and he was assigned to do farm work in the countryside. A few years later, he was assigned to make jewelry to be sold to Westerners. Throughout this period, Zhang continued making art. After participating in a group exhibition sometimes called the “Contemporaries Group,” Zhang moved to the United States in 1982, his wife and son joining him a few years later. He studied at the Art Students League in New York City and later became an artist-in-residence at the Asian American Arts Centre. Read more →

William F. Wu Comic Book Collection

APA Staff

will wu coverDate Range: 1942 – 1986
Survey Conducted: Wed, 2009-04-08
Creator: Wu, William F. (1951-)

History: William F. Wu is a Chinese-American science-fiction writer who has published thirteen novels and more than fifty short stories. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Wu attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate, and later returned to earn his Ph.D in American Culture. During this time he became active in East Wind, an Asian American student group. His doctoral dissertation titled The Yellow Peril (1981) documents evolving depictions of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in American fiction.Wu has been nominated for the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award and the Hugo Award, twice individually and once as a member of the Wild Cards. Hong on the Range, set in a futuristic version of the wild west, was chosen for the Wilson Library Bulletin’s list of science fiction “Books Too Good To Miss” and was a selection for the American Library Association list of Best Books for Young People, the New York Public Library’s Recommended Books for the Teen Age, and was also a Young Adult Editor’s Choice by Booklist Magazine.

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Martin Wong Papers

APA Staff

Date Range: 1982 – 1999
Survey Conducted: Mon, 2008-12-01
Creator: Wong, Martin (1946-1999)

History: Acclaimed Chinese American artist Martin Wong (1946-1999) is best known for his cityscapes of New York’s Chinatown and the Lower East Side, his championing of graffiti art as a legitimate art form in the 1980s and ‘90s, and his incorporation of homoerotic sensibilities into his paintings. Wong was born in Portland, Oregon on July 11, 1946. He grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown district and attended Humboldt State University, graduating in 1968 from its Art Studio program with a focus on ceramics. He was involved in the Bay Area’s performance art scene through the 1970s, but after moving to New York in the early 1980s, began to focus almost exclusively on painting. Read more →

Yoland Skeete Research Files on Newark Chinatown

APA Staff
Newark014Date Range: 1999 – 2009
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2011-05-06
Creator: Sumei Multidisciplinary Center

History: Founded in 1993 by a group of artists, musicians, and writers, the Sumei Multidisciplinary Arts Center (permanently closed as of 2021) aims to support emerging and established artists through exhibitions, lectures, seminars, workshops, and residencies. Sumei serves as a platform for artists around the world to connect with communities in Newark, and provides educational programming and art workshops for elementary to college age youth throughout the area. The organization aims to be a space for community building and engagement through art, writing, video, and performance. Read more →

Rocky Chin Papers

APA Staff
Date Range: 1969 – 2008
Survey Conducted: Tue, 2011-12-13
Creator: Chin, Rocky

History: Rocky Chin is a civil rights attorney who has been an active community leader advocating for labor and human rights. An Asian American born in Washington D.C., Chin completed his BA at Lehigh University, his MA at Yale University, and his JD at the University of Southern California. As an attorney, Chin has represented marginalized groups including immigrant and working-class families. He is married to May Y. Chen, former vice president of UNITE HERE and a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA).

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Chinese-American Labor and Immigration Collection

APA Staff
Date Range: 1970 – 1990
Survey Conducted: Thu, 2008-12-04
Creator: Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive

History: The Chinese-American Labor and Immigration Collection was given to the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives in the late 1980s.

Summary: The collection consists of subject files; which include clippings, printed material and correspondence; relating to immigration, labor, women’s issues, Asian student organizations, and health services. A small number of files contain minutes and other administrative materials from the Asian Labor Resource Center, including materials relating to the First and Second Asian Labor Conferences at Cornell University (1988-1989).

Total Size: 2 linear feet
APA-related Size: 2 linear feet
Languages of materials: Chinese and English
Arrangement: other
Location: Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University
Bibliographic Control: other
Collection Link: http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/wag_126/
Conditions Governing Access: Contact repository for detailed information on conditions governing access.
Preservation Note: The collection contains many clippings and other publications which are highly acidic and should be appropriately rehoused or reformatted.

Peeling Records

APA Staff
Peeling logoDate Range: 1995 – 2003
Survey Conducted: Sun, 2012-11-04 and Thu, 2009-09-17
Creator: Peeling

History: Peeling was a New York City based collective (1995-2005) of writers, performers, directors and producers. Using autobiography as a departure point, their collaborations were an exploration of contemporary Asian American identities through the development of original theater work. Originally founded in 1995 as “Peeling the Banana” by director/performer Gary San Angel at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, the group developed many of its pieces through physical theater and improvisation work, which were later transcribed; others were written and further developed through group workshops. At the time, no other such group existed on the East Coast and many talented artists got their start in or had at one time been members of the group. With sold out performances at the Joseph Papp Public Theater, Second Stage, Highways Performance Space (Los Angeles), the Desh Pardesh Festival (Toronto), as well as numerous colleges and universities, Peeling the Banana presented its poignant blend of poetry, theater, dance, and music to audiences across the country.

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Organizations of Chinese Americans – New York Chapter (OCA-NY)

APA Staff
Date Range: 1993 – 2007
Survey Conducted: Wed, 2011-09-21
Creator: Organization of Chinese Americans – New York Chapter (OCA-NY)

History: Founded in 1973, the Organization of Chinese Americans is “a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs).” The national organization was formed by the cooperation of three founding chapters. Lead by K.L. (Kung-Lee) Wang and others, the Chinese American Leadership Council was created in September 1971 in Washington, D.C. following the example of organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). In November 1971, a steering committee chaired by Alex Mark was formed in Detroit to discuss the formation of a national organization. In February 1972 the League of Chinese Americans was formed in St. Louis. On June 9, 1973, the three regional organizations came together under the umbrella of a new, national organization. The New York Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-NY) was founded in 1976 and is one of more than 80 chapters of OCA in the United States. Read more →

Asian Garment Workers in New York City Oral History Collection

APA Staff
Date Range: 1989
Survey Conducted: Thu, 2008-12-04
Creator: Nguyen, Bichiluyen

History: New York University undergraduate Bichiluyen Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, conducted these interviews with New York City immigrant garment workers from Vietnam, China, the Philippines and California as part of an internship in the history department in 1989. Interviews were conducted mainly in English, but some were partially in the interviewees’ native language.

Summary: The collection consists of four interviews. Transcripts or indexes exist in English for all of the interviews. Interviews are with International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union members and staff, and one interview is with a garment manufacturer. Topics covered include emigration to the U.S., working conditions, joining the ILGWU, and major strikes.

Total Size: 5 cassette tapes
APA-related Size: 5 cassette tapes
Languages of materials: Chinese, English, and Vietnamese
Arrangement: other
Location: Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University
Bibliographic Control: inventory
Inventory Link: http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/oh_018/
Conditions Governing Access: Contact repository for detailed information on conditions governing access.

Center for Student Life Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1831 – 1997
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2008-11-14
Creator: New York University

History: The Center for Student Life Records documents student life from the founding of the University up to present day. Material covers official school functions, including classes, conferences, and dances; extracurricular activities, including plays, student publications, and sporting teams; and informal occasions, such as concerts in the park and “down time” in dorm rooms and Loeb Student Center.

Summary: The collection contains annual reports, minutes, promotional materials, directories, handbooks, reports and yearbooks documenting student life at New York University. A large collection of photographs supplements the textual material on student life. Of particular significance are records and publications of Student Organizations which reflect the activities of Asian Pacific American students. These include, but are not limited to, the Computer Club (1983-1984), Oriental Culture Club*/Asian Cultural Union (1982-1997), Chinese Student Society (1972-1983), Hong Kong Student Association, Chinese Mei Society (1988), Chinese Christian Fellowship (1988), Martial Arts Society (1988), Tae Kwon Do Karate Club (1988), Asian Initiative at NYU (1995), Korean Studies Association (1991-1995), relizAsian (1996-1997) and South Asian Student Association (1992-1993). They include issues of publications from these organizations, including “Asian Voices” (Asian Cultural Union), “Asian American Journal” (Chinese Student Society), “Han Mah Dang” (Korean Student Association), as well as flyers for events including the South Asia Fest.

*Materials in the collection, which comprise a part of the cultural and historical record, may depict offensive and objectionable perspectives, language, and norms. While we have control over the survey descriptions, we cannot alter the content.

APA-related Size: 1.5 linear feet, 6 boxes
Languages of materials: English
Arrangement: other
Location: New York University Archives, New York University
Bibliographic Control: other
Finding Aid Link: http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/archives/rg_12_16/
Conditions Governing Access: Some materials may be restricted. Contact the University Archivist for further information.