Chow Clan

Great Grandfather was a caretaker for a Clan Temple not affiliated with our very small Chow Clan and was paid a Chinese bushel of unhusked rice per month. What is the volume of rice remaining in that bushel after the rice was unhusked? The less than one Chinese bushel of rice is to feed the family of five for a month plus whatever can be grown as sharecroppers. Some of you may have seen those Chinese baskets around Chinatowns in Honolulu or San Francisco in mid 1930s-1950s. The dark brown or white basket is woven with split bamboo and stands approximately 20 to 25 inches tall and about 20 to 25 inches in diameter. The difference shades of colors are varieties of bamboo grown in different regions of the Guangdong Province. The basket is a general purpose container called low or law.

Two Chinese Vietnamese couple named Xoan (pronounced as Swan) grew-up in Vietnam village and is familiar with rice cultivation. The Swan's description of low or law seems to fit the description of the above. The general practice in Vietnam is to take 3 Vietnamese bushels to a rice miller and receive one bushel of husked rice for milling cost. It is uncertain if volume of the container in both countries is the same. Majority of Chinese in Vietnam migrated from Guangdong Province. There are two choices, white or brown rice. Unhusked brown rice, 50 percent is lost. Un-husked white rice, 60 percent is lost.

Great Grandfather's name is not known nor is there a grave stone to honor his passing and remain anonymous on ancestral boot hill of Sam Heung, just a half hour leisure walk from the village of Kiu Tau. Just two lonely mounds of mini-mountains represent Great Grandfather and his youngest son, Grandfather Chow Lin or just two generations.

Great Grandfather lived in abject poverty with his two sons and a daughter. Our Grandfather Chow Lin (connect) was the youngest member in the family. His elder sister was married and left the household. Little is known about Grandfather Chow Lin's elder brother and elder sister or their names. Grandfather Chow Lin's nephew, Chow Leong (good) migrated to Gold Mountain alone no other family members accompanied him overseas. He never reach the Promised Land, there was a shipwreck three days outside of San Francisco. It was in mid 1930s when Goo Moo talked with other relatives about Chow Leong ship-wreck. Chow Hop (gather, together), son of Chow Leong, was born in Kiu Tau. Magically Chow Hop landed on the shores of the Gold Mountain mysteriously and the date of his arrival is not known nor the name of his sponsor. Chow Hop is younger than our father, the age spread is not known.

Chung Shan Prefecture is where Sam Heung is located. Sam Heung comprise of three villages with close proximity to each other separated by lanes or roads. All three villages speak Sam Heung dialect and clustered together. Traversing from a major road from the Capital Guangzhou in the north to south, Kiu Tau (head of the bridge) is smaller than the other two villages. Woo Shek (black rock) is southeast of Kiu Tau and followed by Ping Lum (Level mist) to the southwest of Kiu Tau. The road continues southward to Macau the gateway into the outer world, Hawaii and the Gold Mountain.

Farming plots completely surround Sam Heung villages. Sharecropping was the principal practice. Two major crops are grown, rice and sugarcane and vegetables for home consumption and access barter or sold on farmer's market. Great Grandfather was among the impoverished masses. At the turn of the century of 1900s, there were approximately 30 houses in Kiu Tau when Grandmother Chang Nin returned to China. The villages of Woo Shek or Ping Lum are two to four times larger than Kiu Tau. It is not clear which village is largest Woo Shek or Ping Lum during Grandmother's period in 1900s.

People with the same surname tend to flock together in the same village or close proximity. Chang, Cheng, Jang, Jeng, or Jong; the Ideogram for all the foregoing are the same. The village of Kiu Tau is made-up of mostly Chang.

Grandfather's family was the only family in Kiu Tau with the surname of Chow and it is uncertain if there are other Chows in the other two neighboring village Ping Lum or Woo Shek. My source of information about Grandfather Chow Lin as the only Chow in Kiu Tau is from Joe Jang (Chang) in 1970s. The Village Historian Joe Jang is gone; we have no-way to confirm if there are other Chows in the other two villages. The villagers of Kiu Tau referred to our Chow Clan as descendents of Hakka (Hakka-Cantonese, Kejia-Mandarin). Uncle YL told wife Aunty Beatrice, and Aunty passed the information to my son Ethan that our clan was of Hakka origin. Our father also informed Son Ethan about our Hakka origin. Neither Our father or Aunty Bea, or Uncle YL relay information about our Hakka origin to me. Just let the matter stand and members of the Chow Clan can accept or reject that we are descendents of Hakka. Neither Cousin Amy nor Dorothy was able to confirm that their parents spoke about the Chows are descendent of Hakka. Cousin David Chang and his daughter Jerri Hosaka both adamantly insist that our Grandparents are Punti-Sam Heung. The transliteration of Punti or Boon Dei in Cantonese means local. Per Google website, the place of origin Punti is Bao'an in Guangdong province, a former county that includes Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Shenzhen. During the Boxer Rebellion, New Territory, Kowloon and the Island of Hong Kong were seized by the British Colonist whom had control of the opium market in China. Shenzhen, part of Bao'an County remains as part of China.

It is through word of mouth, there is no written document to verify the fact that we Chows in Hawaii are descendents of Hakka. There are compelling reasons that we maybe descendent of Hakka.

(1) Joe Jang, the village historian says the villagers refer our clan as Hakka, his believability is beyond reproach. Grandfather was the only Chow in Kiu Tau predominately made-up of Changs.

(2) Our father, Uncle YL and Aunty Bea mentioned to my son Ethan that we are descendents of Hakka but that was not disclose to me.

(3) The epitaph inscribed on Grandfather Chow Lin's grave stone, he represents the 19th generation that was interned. There were only two grave mounts of earth in boot-hill of Sam Heung; the other grave mount is Great Grandfather. This indicates there were just two Chow clan generations buried in the hills of Sam Heung. Where are the other 17 generations of Chow Clan buried? One can generalize that our Chow clan was late comers into the village of Kiu Tau and the only Chow in predominate Changs in the village of Kiu Tau. Since The Chow Clan is late comers in the village of Kiu Tau. It is possible our clan migrated from other area.

(4) A fair number of Cantonese are small in stature. Tall is dominant over short genes. Northern people are generally taller than their southern counter-part. Take a mental survey of our uncles and their offspring, most are tall in comparison to Cantonese. Our father stands at 5'10", my brother at 5'9" and a faction and both Johnny's sons are just as tall as or taller than their father, Brother John. My short stature could have been attributed to malnutrition or short changed when DNA was distributed. Uncle YL is the tallest among his brothers at six feet tall and his son Raymond is his equal. There are others in our Chow clan that is just as tall or taller. The younger generations have surpassed Uncle YL and his son and have grown much taller enhanced by knowledge of nutritional balance. My brother John best brother, James Lum is 6 feet tall and his older brother Paul just a tad shorter and claimed Hakka heritage. Majority of the boys at the Chinese Baptist home in San Mateo are short Cantonese with the exception of Brother John and James Lum and Brother Paul Lum. Garrett Ho, Cousin Amy Chow's husband claims Hakka heritage and he stands 5'11" plus or minus. Tall people are distributed all over the world as well as China and not indicative of Hakka heritage.

Pepeekeo Hawaii

Indentured plantation workers, pineapple or sugarcane arrived on the Hawaiian Islands to escape poverty. There is hope for a better life and work opportunities that is not found in their own country of origin. A large number of peasants from Guangdong province migrated to United States, Hawaii, Vietnam, Malaysia, North and South America, or wherever there is hope for a better life abroad. Grandfather Chow Lin arrived in Pepeekeo Sugar Plantation 1880 at the youthful age of 19. Grandfather is a big man in stature and no stranger to growing of sugarcane and an astute person. Commercial sugarcane cultivation was Grandfather's forte since it was the principal crop grown in China. Grandfather's knowledge of agronomy of sugarcane is phenomenal. He proved his indispensability and advanced rapidly to Luna. Grandfather worked for 10 years at Pepeekeo Sugar Plantation then returned to China to seek a wife in 1890. Upon marriage, Grandfather was given the marriage name of E Joong or abundant descendent which was a fitting and accurate name for our prolific Grandfather. Grandfather did not linger after the wedding. Both newlyweds accompanied by Grandmother Chang Nin's servant Lum Sum age 9 returned to Pepeekeo Hawaii.

From time to time I have heard relatives and friends refer to Grandmother Lum Sum unkindly as a servant. It is against the law to own a fellow human being. It is third world culture carried over to Hawaii from China. I look upon Grandmother Lum Sum as an adopted daughter by Grandmother Chang Nin and not a servant.

Entrepreneur Grandfather in the early years after arrival in Pepeekeo organized a Hui. The store was named Sing Lee (Victory). The store sold incidental sundries to plantation workers at Pepeekeo. It was a thriving business and meet the bachelor's needs. Eventually most indentured farm workers left the plantation after frugally amassing a small capital. Homesick Chang Fa and husband and children returned to China after serving their indenture-ship. There were better opportunities outside the plantation in the big city of Honolulu. Brother-in-law Chang Jung ventured forth with the entrepreneurial spirit into the business world and moved to Honolulu.

Grandmother Chang Nin is the eldest in a family of four; two younger brothers and a younger sister, Chang Fa. Younger brother number one went to South America. No-one seems to know which South American country and he just disappeared from the face of the earth. Chang Jung the youngest brother initially went to Pepeekeo. After completing his indenture-ship and frugally saving his wages, Chang Jung hastily departed Pepeekeo and entered a business venture in Honolulu. Chang Jung's wife died shortly after arrival in Pepeekeo, there were no children. Chang Jung married a Hawaiian wahine whom gave birth to one child in Honolulu. In 1923 our father decided to leave Honolulu for Gold Mountain. Chang Jung was swallowed in the big city of Honolulu. This information was passed to my son Ethan from his Grandfather and in turn my son passes the information to me in 2009.

There was a Wong from Yung Mak village, a short distance east of Sam Heung; he was working in Pepeekeo Sugar Plantation. It is uncertain if the villagers from nearby Yung Mak spoke the same dialect as Sam Heung since both villages are in close proximity. The young man, Wong, wanted to return to China to seek a wife. Grandmother Chang Nin convinces Wong into marriage with her younger sister, Chang Fa (Flower). Shortly after the wedding the newly weds returned to Pepeekeo Sugar Plantation. Two boys and a girl were born to the Wong family. The older son is one or two years older than our father, Chow Man Tong. The entire Wong family returned to China a few years before the final departure of our Grandfather in 1932. The two older sons whom were born in Pepeekeo subsequently returned to Honolulu and entered the business world. We in California don't know his name and will call him Wong-Chang since his mother is a Chang. Wong-Chang made frequent trips to China. After his marriage he moved to Hall Street briefly then moved elsewhere in Honolulu. I strongly suspect the Wong-Chang may be the family that lived on Kukui Street where Grandmother Lum Sum lives. The house is at the end of the lane on the left side of the lane. That family seems to have close ties with the Chow Clan and is always present in family social functions. The Wong-Chang that lived on Kukui Street owns a tailor shop across from Aala Park, the large two-story stone building (grayish-black). Honolulu fish market is located in the back of the building. The Tailor Shop is located on the Eva side of the building or across from railroad train station that runs to Pearl Harbor during World War II, it may have been Iwilei Street. Getting back to that family that lived on Kukui Street, they later bought a house near Lanakila Park on School Street. The son's name is Kim Tung. My only memories of that family is they invited us to watch silent movies, Charlie Chaplin, old Mickey Mouse cartoons, and other silent movies.

Women in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam do not take on their husband's surname after marriage; they retain their full given name. The Japanese approach is a little different, Japanese man becomes part of the bride's family only if the bride's family is wealthy which means the bride retains her surname and the husband adopts the bride's family name. If the groom's family is wealthy, the bride is married into the groom's family and her surname is changed. Adopting the husband's surname after marriage is a western custom. Hispanic women retain their surname.

Our mother's name appeared on our sibling's birth certificate as Chang Shee. Our father's mother is also Chang Shee which left me in a state of quandary. How is it possible for our mother to be our father's mother, Chang Shee? Shee'zzz! Throughout my growing years when asked by teacher what our mother's name is. Befuddled, ignorance was pleaded. It is a good excuse since we don't have parents. All banks are notorious about mother's name and my answer was always, 'I don't know' plus it is none of their business. Some banks are very persistent and insist that everyone has a mother and waits impatiently for my answer. 'Mommy Chow', thus the personnel clerk was satisfied and recorded our mother's name as Mommy Chow and we both burst-out with laughter which brightens the gloomy day of 'What is your mother's name?' Honest to goodness, all mothers with the surname of Chang, their name is recorded as Chang Shee. Chang Shee is the most prolific bearer of children in the United States. The year, 2010 I ask my son Ethan for the definition of Shee, our mother's name, it means married woman or the equivalent of Mrs. Immigration officers, registrar's office assumed that Shee was part of the person's name and recorded as such on immigration or birth certificate documents. My finding was put to test by asking Naomi Thrower about the name of her mother on her birth certificate. Sure enough her mother's name is Woo Shee. It took Naomi Thrower, a family friend; finally learn that Shee means Mrs. in year 2011. After 84 years I finally found out our mother's true name is Chang Kam Chock and not Chang Shee. Our father passed mother's name to my son Ethan. My son assumed that we siblings were aware of our mother's name. I am ashamed to admit that Son Ethan and Cousin Wendell Chow got our mother's name correctly on his family tree. 'Shee-Shee' on me for not knowing our own's name, 'Shee'zzz'! Our sister Janet mentions to me year 2010, that she notice on the grave stone of our father that our mother's name is Chang Kam Chock. Sister Janet is observant while I starred into the blue sky oblivious environment of the dead, the cemetery. Here's another clip, Sister Theresa Chow's birth-certificate list mother's name as Chang See Chow which was partially correct.