Welcome to the 23rd issue of the
Yee Fung Toy Global Village Voice, an electronic
newsletter for the World Yee community.
In this issue we are featuring
celebrations of the annual Spring Banquets, Ching
Ming Festival and Parents Day celebrations from
associations around the world.
The World Yee Family Association
4th International Convention was held successfully
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Wednesday, March 24th
to Thursday, March 25th, 2010.
Immediately after the World Yee
Convention, the Yee Chung-sheung Ancestor Hall
Rehabilitation Ceremony Activity Program held in in
Kaiping, China from Sunday, March 28th through
Monday, March 29th was also very successful. A large
crowd was there to witness this historical event.
The trip to Kaiping opened up
unexpected opportunities. One was to make contact
with staff of the Fung Toy Monthly and discuss
alternatives to submitting articles and photos using
slow mail. We are now able to send articles to the
Monthly via email. We can also email your articles
written in Chinese and photos to the Monthly so they
could appear in both our Newsletter and the Fung Toy
Monthly (if the editors so decide). Another
opportunity was to tour the diaolou in the Kaiping
area. This opened our eyes to a UN world heritage
site in the midst of our ancestral villages.
Thanks to
everyone for contributing advice, articles, photos,
and editorial assistance, including:
Edward
Yee of Detroit
Frank
Yee and Gong Sum Yee of New York
Frank Yu
of Houston
Fred Yee
of Seattle
Henry
Yee of Cleveland
Henry
Yu, Sherman Yee and Melinda Yee of Sacramento
Jack
Charles Yee of Calgary
John M.
Yee, David M. Yee, Edward Yue and Rudy Yee of
Phoenix
Kai Yon
Yee of Malaysia
Kenneth
Yee of Philippines
Larry
Yee of San Francisco
Martin
Yee, James Yu and Wing Yee of Vancouver
Richard
Yue of Hong Kong
Stephen
Yu of Montreal
Wayne
Yee of Ontario
Winston
Yee, Ho Lee Yee, Paula Yee and Peter Yee of Boston
Ying Hua
Yu, Jerome Yee, and Eric Yu of Edmonton
Jim Yee, Vancouver
Congratulations to Mr. Kan Yu, Chairman of the Yee
Fung Toy Society of Canada, for being elected
Chairman of the World Yee Family Association, and to
Canada for winning the bid to host the World Yee
Convention in 2012!
4th World Yee
Convention in Kuala Lumpur
The 4th World Yee Family
Association Convention was held successfully at the
Cititel Hotel, Mid Valley in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
from Wednesday, March 24, to Thursday, March 25,
2010. This convention was organized by The World Yee
Family Association, co-organized by The Yee
Association Malaysia and The Federation of Selangor
& Kuala Lumpur Yee Association.
March 24 marks the date for the
arrival of guests from all over the world at the
Cititel Hotel, Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur -
Registration Area.
On the morning of March 25th,
Ancestor Ceremony was held at the The Federation of
Selangor & Kuala Lumpur Yee Association
Headquarters, followed by The World Yee Family
Association 4th (2010) Convention Opening Ceremony -
at the Cititel Hotel Mata Hari Ballroom on Level 5.
On March 25th, at The World Yee
Family Association's 4th AGM, the election of the
5th World Yee Office Bearers and the selection of
the next Host City was held.
A day trip for convention guests
and non-delegates was arranged by the Convention
Organizing Committee.
The Closing Ceremony for The
World Yee Family Association was held at the Empurau
Fish Restaurant SDN BHD (魚龍國大酒家). The 5th Council
taking the Oath of Office. Exchange of Souvenirs
The World Yee Family Association
committee passed the following resolutions during
the convention:
(1) Singapore Yee Clan Association and 余徐涂佘公所 from
Indonesia became new members of the World Yee Family
Association.
(2) Amend Article 3 Section 9, Vice-Chair from 6
members to eight members.
(3) The World Yee Executive committee unanimously
chose Mr. Kan Yu from Canada for its Fifth World Yee
Family Association Chairman, Vice-chairmen as
follow: Mr. Johnson Yee (Hong Kong), Alan Yee (US),
Mr. Suisee Er (Malaysia), Mr. Antonio A. Yee
(Philippines), Mr. Seng Ching Yu (Thailand), Mr. 余海年
(Singapore) and Mr. 余偉球 (Indonesia).
(4) The next World Yee Convention will take place in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2012.
At the 4th World Yee Convention,
the renewed kinship, the meeting of new friends, the
heartwarming dinner banquets and entertainment
provided by our host will always remind us of the
unforgettable events that have touched our hearts.
Without question, within this two day setting, in a
beautiful Malaysian city, under sunny skies, the
atmosphere was in our favor for a wonderful time!
Hope to see you all again in 2012
in Vancouver, British Columbia!
Our special thanks to Kenny Yee
of Southern California, Pauline Tom of Vancouver and
Secretary General of the World Yee Convention
Committee, Mr. Kai Yon Yee, for providing us with
some of their memorable photos.
Yee Chung-sheung Ancestor Hall
Rehabilitation Opening Ceremony was held
successfully in Kaiping on March 28, 2010. The Yees
also celebrated the Yee Chung-sheung's 1010 birthday
anniversary and Fung Cai Middle School's 70th
Anniversary.
57 Canada YFT delegates and
Canadian guests, led by the Yee Fung Toy Society of
Canada Chairman Kan Yu, attended this festive event
that day.
Oversea guests from the United
States, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand,
other guests include Mainland China, Hong Kong and
Macau. Over 2300 people attended this historical
event.
It was very emotional for us to
hear the Guangdong Kaiping Fengcai Middle School
(开平市风采中学) students chanting their heartwarming words
- "Welcome, welcome", as we walk along the streets
toward their school ground to attend the Ancestor
Hall Rehabilitation grand opening ceremony.
As the old saying goes, a picture
is worth a thousand words, so here are some
memorable pictures capturing the "Real Moment" that
will be treasured in our hearts forever.
The welcoming students from the
Fengcai Huaqiao Middle School were just as
heartwarming as the Fengcai Middle School students!
They entertained us with their songs and dances.
Our special thanks to the Hong
Kong Yues Clansmen Association; Kenny Yee of
Southern California; Pauline Tom of Vancouver;
George Yue, Eddie Yue and Joe Yue of Phoenix for
providing us with some of their memorable photos.
Martin Yee, Vancouver
Yees of Phoenix AZ Celebrate Spring Festival 2010
Gung-hay
Fat Choy! / Gongxi Fa Cai!
The Yee Fung-toy Family
Association of Phoenix, Arizona celebrated the
advent of the time-honored Lunisolar (Agricultural)
New Year in CE 2010 in its traditional fashion.
While the family-centered feasting for typically
three consecutive nights (New Year’s Eve, New
Year’s, and Opening-the-Year) would of course have
been observed at our private residences and
restaurants throughout the Valley of the Sun,
according to the different customs of our areas of
origin in China, the Association commemorated this
premier festival of the year with several special
events on one date.
This year, on Saturday, March
6th, about 70+ members of the Association, male and
female, young and old, gathered at the Clan Hall on
3040 North 16th Street in central Phoenix at noon to
pay respects to our ancestors in the ceremonial
manner that Chinese culture has generally instructed
for over four millennia in front of the artist’s
conception of the appearance of the eponymous Yee
Fung-toy / Yu Fengcai, whose origins date back to
the Northern Sung / Song dynasty in the region of
Kuangtung / Guangdong, approximately 1000+ years
ago. The ceremony on this occasion was officiated by
Mr. Kam Tim Yee. Afterwards, our usual abundant
potluck luncheon featured the distinctive and
customary Cantonese-style roast suckling pig,
soy-braised and American fried chickens, with an
array of accompanying side dishes, highlighted by
the traditional dessert pastries brought by our own
skillful cooks.
Later that evening, the
Association hosted over four hundred diners at a
Festive Banquet held at the Great Wall Restaurant,
inviting not only a broader representation of all
the Yees of many generations resident in the area,
but also an array of community leaders and honored
guests and friends. Mr. Jack J.F. Yee and Ms. Betty
Yee were the Master and Mistress of Ceremonies for
the evening. The welcoming remarks were delivered by
the newly elected Association President Mr. David M.
Yee. Ms. Angie Yu introduced the Association
officers and honored guests. Grand Elder John M. Yee
offered the formal toast – not once but instructing
us to drink up several times!
To add a further note of good
luck and happiness, over two dozen generous door
prizes were available to be drawn; many of these
were meals from several well-regarded Chinese
restaurants in the metropolitan area so that a quite
appropriate note of feasting would continue. The
happily noisy raffle was conducted by Ms. Kathy Yee,
Ms. Janet Yee, and Ms. Gale Yee.
Naturally, with our strong
families and characteristic cultural emphasis on
good education, the Association is always delighted
to highlight this most meaningful occasion with
scholarship awards to our youth to encourage them to
set good examples and to continue their excellence
in their every endeavor. Our Scholarship Committee
was led once more this year by long-time Chairwoman
Ms. Mary Ann Yee who welcomed these new scholars to
our long list of annual honorees. As listed below,
the other Committee members then introduced the
awardees of 2009-2010 at their respective levels of
educational accomplishments, with acknowledgements
as well of their rightfully proud parents and
grandparents –
Ms. Jeanette Hing presented four
graduates completing their senior years of high
school –
Larissa Dong; daughter of
Reicher and Michelle Dong
Kyle Evan Michael Yee; son of Allan and Missy
Yee
Jordan Yee; son of Larry and Joanie Yee
Kyle Tompkins; son of Scott and Pam Tompkins.
Ms. Mayen Yue presented two
graduates completing their 8th grade years of
elementary school –
Elizabeth Yee; daughter of Fred
and Ellen Yee
Richard Yu; son of Mr & Mrs Walter Yu
Ms. Betty
Yee presented four scholars of the Phoenix Chinese
School (offering instruction in Mandarin &
Cantonese) –
Nathan Yee; son of Harold and Lisa Yee
Derek Yu; son of Jian Yu and Xiao-hua Huang Yu
George Yu; son of Kerbin and Sherry Yu
John Yu; son of Kerbin and Sherry Yu
Newly elected Association Vice
President Joe Yue then warmly thanked everyone for
their attendance with us to observe what we all pray
will be the beginning of an auspicious White Metal
Tiger Year, 4707.
The Phoenix YFT Association hopes
to observe the Spring Festival again in 2011 in a
time of peace and plenty, and to welcome all with
new happiness and new honors.
May
your New Year be blessed with good health, good
fortune, and great prosperity!
M. Cheak Yee, Mary Ann Yee, Angie
Yu, John M Yee & Eddie Yue, Phoenix
YFT Chinese New
Year Banquet in Boston
More than 500 members and guest
gathered at Empire Garden for our annual Spring
Festival and Seniors Appreciation banquet on March
13 led by Co-Presidents Jack Yu and Ho-Lee Yee.
Joining them were Grand President Peter And Grand
Elder Henry. Our two emcees for the evening were
Melinda Du (Chinese) and David Yee (English).
The Wah Lum Kung Fu Club led by
our own Sifu Mai Du demonstrated various forms of
kung fu for all to enjoy. Many of our guests were
mesmerized by the precise eye and hand coordination
and acrobatic abilities of the performers, some of
which demonstrated with swords and other weapons
that made some of our guests gasp with amazement.
Following Wah Lum's performance,
our own Tom and Linda demonstrated the skills of the
Tai Chi Sword classes they learned from YFT.
Our honored guests included State
Representative Aron Michelwicz, City Councilor John
Connelly, Director General of TECCO Ann Hung,
Director Jack Huang of TECO's cultural Center, and
CCBA President Wing Kay Leung. Many members from our
New York Chapter also attended the banquet.
Our Grand Elders, Grand President
and two Co-Presidents presented an appreciative
award to Judge Paul Yee. Frank Chin also announced
that the Governor will be giving Judge Paul a public
ceremony on May 10, 2010.
Co-Presidents Jack and Ho-Lee
presented scholarship awards to eight qualified
college students.
Recreation Director Ken headed up
the entertainment portion of the evening with
various members and guests performing Karaoke while
other guests enjoyed the music by filling up the
dance floor with their ballroom dance skills. The
evening concluded with the distribution of raffle
prizes presented by Women'd Divivion Vice-Chair
Karin and other Women's Division members. All in
all, it was a succesful, fun-filled evening.
Paula Yee, Boston
Phoenix Yees Commemorate The Duke
On May 2, 2010, a full house of
over 100 Yees and kin-by-marriage gathered just
after noon for a grand festivity commemorating and
celebrating several threads of our common life.
This was the occasion when our
local clan members gather in the April/May season to
commemorate the opening, 21 years ago in 1989, of
the Phoenix Yee Fung Toy Family Association Hall. Of
course, a buffet luncheon feast is always a
noisy-happy crowded event, highlighted by the
offering of six whole Cantonese-style Roast Pigs,
with the distinctive golden crispy skin. (Here in
Arizona, with our many friends and business
associates of Mexican and Hispanic descent with whom
we appreciate chicharrones,
we’re able to say that it’s even better with the
whole layering of savory fat and seasoned meat!) Not
only can we enjoy this treat on site, but our
generous donors at membership renewal season (and
especially all our seniors above 75) are able to
take more portions to continue the celebration at
home. It goes without saying that additional tables
full of American southern-fried chicken, stir-fried
noodles, vegetable medley, and desserts from the
cuisine of both our native lands round out the
occasion when, alas, all too many of us round
ourselves out too…
This year, the Roast Pigs were
generously provided by – Mr. Willie Yee, Mr. Kam Yui
Yi, Mr. Kim H. Yee, Mrs. Jerry M. Yee, Mr. John M.
Yee, Grand Elder and Mr. David M. Yee, our current
Association President.
This is therefore also the
premier occasion at which we, the descendants, offer
up the respect to our parents and grandparents and
to all our ancestors immemorial, symbolized by the
traditional rites of veneration. These were observed
in our Clan Hall before the portrait in oil of an
artist’s conception of our Clan Grand Progenitor,
T’ai-tzu, Yee Fung-toy (Yu Feng-tsai or in pinyin,
romanization, Yu Fengcai). Such a term is of course
redolent of a historical pattern in Chinese history,
when the founding emperor of a dynasty would often
be posthumously designated as a Grand Progenitor.
Our eponymous ancestor was
himself also a Cantonese, born at what then was
named Shaochou, in 1000 C.E.* and he served with
distinction as an official in the Northern Sung
Dynasty (960-1127 C.E.) After his death in 1065, the
reigning Chih-p’ing era Emperor awarded him an
honorific title of nobility: the Chung-hsiang Kung
[Loyal-Assisting Duke] or in an informal Cantonese
rendition, ‘Chung-sheung.’ This feudal-style title
actually looked back then to a vanishing age and yet
these type of honors would continue to be granted,
relatively rarely, until the end of the imperial era
in 1912. When our Clan Grand Progenitor flourished,
a well-developed civil service administration of
China had arisen and afterwards ripened into court
and factional politics involving talented commoners
rather than the older fading aristocratic and
military families of the preceding T’ang Dynasty era
(618-906 C.E.).
(It was also during this period
that the famed civil servant and polymath Fan
Chung-yen [989-1052 C.E.], by his example in clan
devotion, set the fashion among the Chinese people
in the millennium afterwards for clans to erect
ancestral halls and to compile formal local
histories – invaluable to scholars. The national
clan association for Yees in America was founded
over a century ago in San Francisco; our local
association in the Phoenix area was established in
1961.)
Naturally, the specific title for
our Grand Ancestor, the Duke, would have been
selected to commemorate and honor his qualities in
life: his loyalty, and his administrative
helpfulness, to the Throne. (For the millennium and
half before, if someone had been created a duke, it
meant the receipt of a fief of territory with
population, income, and hereditary power.) The
character, hsiang, has as its organizing radical
[i.e., that part of the ideograph which signifies
its meaning, rather than being a clue to its
pronunciation], the element which means “clothing.”
In this case, hsiang refers to the need to
remove/disrobe clothing in order to prepare for the
hard and typically muddy work of agriculture. In our
day, we would say that Yee Fung-toy was a
roll-up-your-sleeves, get-it-done kind of guy.
Surely he would be well worth our respect and even
veneration at any occasion. Yet even more than being
a source of pride for us descendants, however, he
himself doubtlessly would only be satisfied to know
that we were following his example. This is the core
meaning of filial piety (hsiao), a truly root virtue
in Chinese culture.
* C.E. is an
abbreviation for “Common Era,” to refer to the
period of history in which both Jews and Christians
shared a frame of reference; the previous custom, to
refer to A.D. for “Anno Domini” [Year of (our)
Lord], has come to be seen as slighting the elder
brothers/sisters in the Judeo-Christian faith
tradition.
Article by M. Cheak Yee
(“check”), Photographs by Eddie Yue. Phoenix
The
Swearing In of Paul M. Yee Jr.
Long time YFT member,
Paul Yee, was sworn in as Associate Justice of the
Quincy District Court on May 10, 2010. Paul became the
court's first Asian-American judge. The ceremony was
held at Kwong Kow Chinese School. More than 230 people
attended the ceremony, including many members of our
own YFT and their families. Among the other guests
were Paul's family and friends, fellow judges, and
many members of the Chinatown community.
The program began with welcoming
remarks from Honarable Richard Chin, followed by
some witty remarks from our own YFT President Jimmy
Ho-Lee Yee, making fun of his own broken English.
The audience broke out in laughter. Other speakers
included Mary Chin (President of the Asian American
Civic Association) and the Honorable Fernande R.V.
Duffly (Associate Justice of the Appeals Court), and
Lynda Connolly (Paul's boss). Governor Deval L.
Patric formally swore Paul in as judge. The ceremony
concluded with very touching remarks from Paul,
giving thanks to his immigrant parents for providing
him the opportunity to arrive at where his is today.
The celebration continued with a
buffet dinner at China Pearl hosted by Paul.
Congratulations to judge Paul
for all his accomplishments as we are proud to have
him as part of our "Yee" family.
Paula Yee, Boston
On
the Roots of Taishan and Zhongshan Immigrants
[Vancouver
BC, May 19, 2010] Fresh from speaking at the UBC
Asian Library (celebrating its 50th Anniversary) Workshop
on Taishan and Zhongshan Immigrants in North
America the day before, Marjorie Lee from the
Asian American Centre, University of California, Los
Angeles, and Wei-chi Poon from the Ethnic Studies
Library, University of California, Berkeley (bios),
visited
the
Mah
Society
of
Vancouver
today.
They
were
accompanied
by
Marjorie’s
sister
Evelyn
Lee,
Phoebe
Chow
of
the
Asian
Library,
University
of
British
Columbia,
and
Asian
Library
Research
Assistants
Titan
Du
and
Denise
Fong.
At
the
Mah
Society
to
receive
them
were
representatives
from
Shon
Yee
Benevolent
Association
from
Zhongshan and others from Taishan:
Our
visitors are passionate about Chinese American
History, and have overcome major obstacles to
achieve their status as eminent research librarians
in the field. Marjorie was born in the US, but has
subsequently mastered the Chinese language and made
numerous research trips to China. Wei-chi was born
(as 余慧子 Wei-chi Yee, a true kinswoman of the Yee
clan) in Taishan and came to the US in her teens
with no knowledge of the English language beyond the
alphabet. You obviously need language skills in both
English and in Chinese to succeed in this field in
North America.
Marjorie
notes there are still a lot of pain associated with
the history of Chinese Americans, as she discovers
when writing “Duty and Honor: A Tribute to Chinese
American World War II Veterans of Southern
California” (pub. 1997). Many Chinese American
veterans were not ready to open up about their
experience, let alone show any pride in serving
their adopted country.
Wei-chi
expounds on the importance of archiving Chinese
documents and artifacts in North America, especially
in allowing universities access to useful historical
material. Universities have the resources to archive
and share material given to their care. No other
organizations can afford the high cost of
professional processing. A prominent example is the
Him Mark Lai Collection, which "may eventually
consist of more than 200 linear feet, not counting
the numerous newspapers, journals, magazines, books,
and directories", as Wei-chi recounts in
an Annotation article.
Him Mark
Lai (November 11, 1925 - May 21, 2009) was an
amazing amateur historian and master archivist. He
has been called the Dean of Chinese American History
for his role in establishing the field as a
legitimate academic discipline. For more info, see
short video,
wiki bio, or the Him Mark Lai
Digital Archive.
One of
Lai's legacies is the In Search of Roots program,
co-founded with Albert Cheng of the Chinese Cultural
Center of San Francisco (who spoke at the
Workshop yesterday about the program). "The program
involves a year-long commitment to researching one’s
Chinese American family history and genealogy. After
exploring their Chinese roots in America,
participants explore their roots in China through
searching for and visiting their paternal and/or
maternal ancestral villages in the Pearl River Delta
and Chaozhou regions of Guangdong Province" from the
program
homepage.
This was
such a great program that we wondered why the
Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver does not
provide one. Fred mentioned he had made contacts
Albert and tried to start a similar program in the
1990’s. Is it possible to get enough support now
from the local Family Associations to get one going
for our youth in Vancouver?
Pictured
from left: Denise, Evelyn, Marjorie, Phoebe, Titan,
Wei Chi, Orville, Fred, William, Rick, Jim
The next issue of the Yee Fung
Toy Global Village Voice will be published in mid
September of 2010, featuring summer picnics and
other activities at Yee Fung Toy associations around
the world. Please submit your articles to the Editor
via email (editor @ yeefungtoy.org) or postal mail
(The Editor, 226 East Georgia Street, Vancouver,
B.C., Canada V6A 1Z7) by August 15, 2010.
