Welcome to the 66th issue of the Yee Fung Toy
Global Village Voice, an electronic newsletter for
the World Yee community. In this issue we are
featuring some of the Spring activities from the Yee
associations around the world.
The 1-year anniversary of the global coronavirus
pandemic arrives in 2021 with hopes that the 3
FDA-authorized Covid-19 vaccines will begin to
mitigate transmission, and that more vaccine
products and doses will come online to immunize
populations close to herd immunity levels over the
year.
As Americans anxiously watch the spread of
coronavirus variants that were first identified in
Britain and South Africa, scientists are finding a
number of new variants that seem to have originated
in the United States ¡X and many of them may pose the
same kind of extra-contagious threat.
The Canadian Government advises Canadians to avoid
all non-essential travel outside of Canada, all
gatherings and events are suspended to significantly
reduce COVID-19 transmission related to social
interactions.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the challenges
we face have evolved. But what has not changed are
the benefits of our collective efforts.
Each of us doing our part makes a difference to our
shared well-being. One person or one layer provides
some protection. Yet all of us working together
using all of our layers of protection is far better.
We're all looking forward to this day - being able
to safely get together with family and friends,
travel, and resume a suspended event. We are
confident that our collective efforts will slow the
spread of the new coronavirus. But it is kindness
and compassion that can lead us through this
pandemic and usher in a bright day.
Kenny Q. Yee, Chair of the World Yee Website
Committee, on behalf of the World Yee Web Committee,
he would like to sincerely thank the family of Grand
Elder John M. Yee for their generous donation to the
World Yee Website.
¡§As you may already know, your father was one of
the founders of this website project. His passion
and commitment to our Yee family and his desire to
connect Yees and sustain our family heritage,
customs and culture is very encapsulated in this
website. In his memory we will continue to dedicate
ourselves to serve and keep this website a pillar in
keeping the Yees from all over the world connected
while bringing news and worthy stories to all.¡¨
And now, we'd like to thank all contributors, and
remind anyone who wants to become a contributor that
they can email us their reports and photos of events
and activities from their locale.
And we thank all those who have made contributions to
this issue, including:
- David M. Yee of Phoenix
- Kevin Lee of Seattle
- Paula Yee and Ringo Yu of Boston
- Larry Yee of San Francisco
- Kenny Yee and Chao Yu of Southern California
- Jim Yee, James Yu and Wing Yee of Vancouver
- Bing Kai Lee, Danny Yu and Johnson Yee of Hong
Kong
- Peter CK Yee and Xi Mei of Singapore
- Worachai Aurprayoon, Fook Biu Yu of Thailand
- Yu Zexin, Yu Jie Feng and Yu Jian Qiang of Dihai,
China
- Ms. Jenny Wong of AZ Chinese News, Arizona
- DVCHIO Production
Martin Yee, Vancouver
Mokai Middle School Won Provincial
Junior Men's Volleyball Championship
December 5-13, the 2020
Guangdong Provincial High School Volleyball
Championship, hosted by the Guangdong Provincial
Education Department and the Sports Bureau, was
held in Zhongshan City. Competition according to
the high school, junior high school group two
levels, a total of 52 teams in the province more
than 700 athletes to participate in the
competition.
Taishan City Wuxi ZhongXue
(Mokai Middle School) organized the men's and
women's volleyball teams to participate in the
competition, Wuxi ZhongXue won the junior high
school men's team championship, while the
women's team came fifth.
It is worth noting that Wuxi
ZhongXue men's volleyball team members played
all the way through, by winning their match
rounds and leaping forward, has defeated the
strong teams and won the junior high school
men's team Championship.
Bing Kai Lee, Hong Kong
Macau Wo Sing 2020 Yee Jing
Chinese Opera Gala
Organized by the Associação de
Espectáculos de Ópera Chinesa Harmonia de Macau, the
new Cantonese opera "Dàng Kòu Fengyun" ¡m¿º±F·¶³¡n and the music singing
evening were held at 7.30 pm on December 14th, 2020
at Cinema Alegria, with special invitation of the
Guangdong Gaozhou City Cantonese Theatre Company to
perform, to celebrate the 71st anniversary of
Macau¡¦s National Day, the 21st anniversary of
Macau's return to China and the 1020th birthday of
Yu Jing, a famous official of the Northern Song
Dynasty, and this performance was well received.
YouTube Video courtesy of ¶W¼Æ½X»s§@ DVCHIO Production
Iu Siu Chi, Macao Yu Clansmen
Association
Thailand Yu Clansmen Ancestor
Veneration
On December 28 morning, members
of the Thailand Yu Clansmen, led by President
Seng Ching Yu, held a monthly ancestor
veneration ceremony at our Association Hall.
We had our year end regular
meeting to discuss our association affairs,
followed by a luncheon at the Ah Yat Abalone
Forum Restaurant.
Worachai Aurprayoon, Thailand
Congratulations to Re-elected
Leaders of San Francisco Yee Fung Toy Family
Association Headquarters
Congratulations to the
re-elected leaders of our Yee Fung Toy Family
Association Headquarters in San Francisco; 2021
President Man San Yee and 2021 Vice President
Anthony Leong Yee.
Entering 2021, the covid-19
epidemic is still raging in the United States,
resulting in the San Francisco Yee Fung Toy
Family Association annual election and handover
ceremony can not be held as usual, after
discussion by the Elders and upper level
(leaders) of the association, Our 2020 President
and Vice-Presidents are re-elected for 2021.
Both leaders will continue to lead the general
service for our family association, and to work
together for the well-being of our members.
Kenny Q. Yee, San Francisco
The 8th World Yee Family
Association Chairman Seng Ching Yu Donates to
Bangkok Thian Fah Hospital
The 8th World Yee Family
Association and Yu Clansmen Association of
Thailand Chairman, Mr Seng Ching Yu and his wife
recently donated one million Baht to the Bangkok
Thian Fah Foundation Hospital.
The Bangkok Thian Fah
Foundation Hospital, shortened to Thian Fah
Foundation was established during the reign of
King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1903 and
completed in 1905. This was due to the merge of
five Chinese dialect groups with the intention
of helping the poor who could not afford
medication at that time. They have both modern
and traditional Chinese treatments and the
foundation is preserved till today. There is a
beauty statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin estimated
to be about 800¡V900 years old since Song
Dynasty. The statue was carved with the
sandalwood and painted in gold. In 1958, it was
invited from China and enshrined until today.
This shrine open 24 hours and so popular among
people both Thai and Chinese to pray for good
health especially during Chinese New Year and
some of them are teenagers to pray for the
university entrance exam.
Worachai Aurprayoon, Thailand
JOHN M. YEE ¡V Remembrance
John M. Yee, beloved father,
grandfather, and great-grandfather unexpectedly
passed away at age 93 on January 18, 2021. John
Yee had devoted much of his life as an active
participant and leader in the Phoenix Chinese
Community, and developed such a reputation and
acclaim that he was later known as ¡§Uncle John¡¨.
Uncle John was born in Toishan, Guangdong
Province, China on February 4, 1927 and
immigrated to the United States in his 20¡¦s to
join other relatives in the Phoenix area.
His wife, Hong Yow Yee (who
passed away in 2010) and their first son came to
the Phoenix area in 1953 and together, they
worked tirelessly at the corner grocery store to
make the American dream a reality. Later on, two
other sons were born. Like many of his peers and
generation at that time, hard and unrelenting
work was very common. That was the foundation
upon which Uncle John and Hong provided the
opportunities for their children and future
generations to achieve successful careers in
various professional fields. All of that was due
to one common vision and aspiration.
For more details, please click
on above image.
The Phoenix Yee Fung Toy
Family Association Announcement
In Memoriam of John M. Yee ¡V World
Yee Family Association Co-founder
In Memoriam of John M. Yee
Yee Fung Toy Society of
Canada
My Ancestral Home In Taishan
A memorial journey for our
Singapore Yee Clan, now published in the
Yee Newsletter Volume 10.
On May 18th, 2019 at 8:20am, 20
members from Yee Clan Association boarded SQ850
flight to Baiyun International Airport,
Guangzhou. All of us were looking forward to
learn more about our ancestral history. For more
details, please click here.
"My Ancestral Home In Taishan"
is recorded on pages 54-56 in this newsletter.
Peter CK Yee, Singapore
Grand Elder Dr. Herbert Yee
Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
Grandpa Herbert was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal on January 23rd, the
nation's highest civilian award, for his service
in WW II.
Bestowed by the United States
Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom are the nation¡¦s
highest civilian awards. First awarded to
General George Washington by the Second
Continental Congress in 1776, the Congressional
Gold Medal seeks to honor those ¡§who have
performed an achievement that has an impact on
American history and culture.¡¨
During World War II, Chinese
Americans displayed their patriotism, loyalty,
and courage despite the inequity of the Chinese
Exclusion Act, which was in place at the time.
In World War II, approximately 20,000 Chinese
Americans, nearly 1 in 5 served in the U.S.
armed forces. An estimated 40% percent of those
who served were not U.S. citizens due to laws
that denied citizenship to people of Chinese
descent. These veterans served with distinction
and received citations for heroism, including
the Congressional Medal of Honor. Their service
helped overcome preconceptions of their fellow
countryman and paved the way for their
descendants. Of those 20,000 Chinese Americans
who served in World War II, only about 200
service members are alive today.
David Yee, Sacramento
Yu Clansmen Family Association of
Thailand Celebrates 2021 Chinese New Year
The Yu Clansmen Family
Association of Thailand held their 2021 Chinese
New Year ancestor ceremony on Wednesday,
February 3rd.
Worachai Aurprayoon, Thailand
Phi Du Named Quincy Treasurer and
Collector
Long-time NE YFT member, Phi Du
(§E»A»B) has been hired
by the City of Quincy, Massachusetts, to be
their Treasurer and Collector, the first
Asian-American to head up a department in
Quincy. Congratulations to Phi!
Du, most recently the owner of
Grandasia Bridal and Fashion Emporium in
downtown Quincy, will take over from Deborah
Coughlin, who is retiring after 12 years in the
position that¡¦s at the center of the City¡¦s
financial management operations and its
interactions with residents on a daily basis.
The Treasurer and Collector¡¦s
Office is one of the local government
departments that residents deal with most
regularly, as it is responsible for managing
almost all financial transactions with the City.
It is also the chief manager of the City¡¦s
revenue flow; working directly with banks that
maintain City accounts; and playing a major role
in overseeing borrowing and other financial
activities.
¡§Having that private-sector
experience I think is a great fit for this
position. It worked out tremendously well for us
with Deb, and I know Phi will bring great new
insight and great ideas to the position in much
the same way,¡¨ Mayor Koch said.
Du opened the Grandasia
formal gown shop on Hancock Street 16 years
ago. The store was a popular destination for
shoppers from across Massachusetts and
bordering states.
Yee Fung Toy Association of
New England
NE YFT Celebrates Lunar New Year
of the Ox
On Friday, February 12th, New
England YFT celebrated Chinese Lunar New Year of
the Ox with an ancestral honoring ceremony. Ten
members attended this ceremony and enjoyed a
delicious lunch.
Yee Fung Toy Association of
New England
Hong Kong Yues Clansmen Ancestral
Memorial Ceremony
The Hong Kong Yues Clansmen
Association held their 2021 Chinese New Year
ancestor ceremony on Wednesday noon, February
24th, and a members social gathering at the
Victoria Harbour Restaurant for lunch.
Bing Kai Lee, Hong Kong
Thailand Yu Clansmen Spring
Gathering
The Yu Clansmen Family
Association of Thailand held their annual Spring
gathering luncheon on Wednesday, March 3rd.
Fook Biu Yu, Thailand
What is in the Next Issue?
The next issue of the Yee
Fung Toy Global Village Voice will be
published in mid June, 2021, please submit
your articles to the Editor via email
(world.yee @ gmail.com) or postal mail (The
Editor, 226 East Georgia Street, Vancouver,
B.C., Canada V6A 1Z7) by May 15.