Duty and Honor Collection
Scope and Contents
The Duty and Honor Collection, compiled by Marjorie Lee, contains records of four hundred sixteen World War II Chinese American veterans with a background from Southern California. The collection includes interviews of forty-four veterans, interview notes, correspondence between veterans or veteran families with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, monthly updates to constituents, and germane materials from veterans such as separation papers. This is an inactive record series; no new records are expected to be added.
Dates
- 1942 - 1946
- 1994 - 2000
- 2003
- Majority of material found within 1995 - 1998
Language of Materials
English , Chinese .
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to the public by appointment. Public can access audio tapes through digital reproductions available to access at the repository.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright of portions of this collection is held by The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. All requests for permission to publish or quote must be submitted in writing to the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.
Biographical / Historical
At their annual dinner in 1994, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California honored Chinese American veterans from World War II. Subsequently, veterans approached Chinese Historical Society of Southern California member, Marjorie Lee, to lead a project to commemorate World War II Chinese American veterans. Lee organized weekly events to locate Chinese American veterans of World War II and collect associated materials shortly after the 1994 dinner. Lee and other members of the research team interviewed forty-four veterans and found or collected records for seven hundred fifty-five United States veterans. In order for the veteran to be featured in the final text, that veteran must have been in the armed forces for the United States during World War II, be Chinese American, have documented proof of enlistment, have a relationship to Southern California, and have approval by the veteran or the veteran's family if the veteran passed away.
Lee and her team agreed to a threshold of around two hundred in order to produce a book. The final text contains mini-biographies on four hundred sixteen veterans, and chapters related to Chinese Americans in World War II written by relative experts.
Among the records created in the collection are interview transcriptions, original verification documentation of veterans' documents, reference sheets on which other veterans they may know, and lists of common veteran affiliations.
A list of veteran names is included within this finding aid as an addendum. The birthplace in both the historical reproductions and self completed surveys often state that the veteran was born in Guangzhou (Canton), China, but that is a misnomer of substituting Guangzhou City with Guangdong Province. Over 95% of Chinese immigrants to the United States before 1940 arrived from eight districts within Guangdong Province, and Guangzhou City is not one of those districts.
World War II Chinese American Veterans Collection was a working name of this collection prior to being named Duty and Honor. The name of the book, Duty and Honor, was not determined until late 1997. The book was published in 1998.
Extent
4 Linear Feet (Four boxes and an irregular large size sleeve for a book cover.)
Abstract
This collection contains research material that principal editor, Marjorie Lee, used to write Duty and Honor: A Tribute to Chinese American World War II Veterans of Southern California. Materials include photocopies of records on Chinese American World War II veterans, audio recorded interviews with Chinese American veterans, interview transcriptions, interview notes with Chinese American veterans, photo slides of personal photographs owned by Chinese American veterans, Polaroid photographs of Chinese American veterans, updates, correspondence and ephemera related to the production of the text, and, lists and associated materials compiled from the principal editor.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following series: Series 1. Veteran Files, 1994-1999. Series 2. Subject Files, 1994-2000. Series 3. Photographs and Mixed Media, 1940-1945, 1994-2000.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Principle editor, Marjorie Lee, compiled the collection. Franklin Mah shot photographic reproductions and photo slides. Lee compiled reproductions of military records such as separation papers from veterans or veterans' families. Mah shot slide photos of veteran's photography collection. Additional reproductions of military records were collected from the Los Angeles County Recorder Office. Lee created monthly newsletter updates and organizing lists. Lee and the research team recorded the audio interviews.
Processing Information
Processed by Albert A. Lowe, David Castro, and Kaz Rowe, 2019 October 31. The collection was compiled from Duty and Honor principle editor, Marjorie Lee. Duplications of World War II documents, chapter drafts with only copy edits, and World War II materials unrelated to Chinese Americans were discarded. Original order organized by type of document was rearranged to individual veterans in alphabetical order by the archival processer. Other publications from major houses, such as easily found newspaper articles, and other materials not generated materials by The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California were also removed. The archival organization of this Record Series was determined after review by archival processer, Albert A. Lowe, in 2018.
Marjorie Lee also used recycled paper printing correspondence from email and printing lists. Users should be aware that the content on the back of reproductions often have no relationship to the collection
- Title
- Duty and Honor Collection
- Author
- Albert A. Lowe
- Date
- 2019 October 31
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California Repository
411 and 415 Bernard Street
Los Angeles California 90012 United States
(323) 222-0856
info@chssc.org