PROGRAM
STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM
Given
geographic, time, and cost constraints on visiting China,
the program had to make a number of difficult decisions. It
so happens that a great majority of Chinese immigrants settling
in the San Francisco Bay area, especially those arriving before
1965, came from the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong
Province, an area approximately the size of the San Francisco
Bay area. For logistical and economic reasons, the program
elected to select as interns Chinese Americans who can trace
their ancestries to that region; nevertheless, similar programs
can be developed for other regions. Also, due to the intensive
nature of the program, participants are limited to those who
live within commuting distance of San Francisco.
In the
early years, interns were asked to select one ancestral village
to visit, because of the poor conditions of the roads in the
region. Typically it took a whole day to complete one village
visit. The rapid economic developments in southern China during
the mid-1990s resulted in greatly improved travel conditions.
By 1997 all the major cities were linked with well-paved multi-lane
highways, thereby allowing the interns to visit two ancestral
villages if they elected.
A requirement
of the program is for each intern to develop his or her paternal
and/or maternal family tree. The intern is also required to
submit an essay about his or her family history, starting
from the generation that emigrated abroad, as seen against
the context of historical developments. Initially, articles
and handouts from the 1989 symposium/workshop served as basic
reference materials, but eventually additional reference notes
were developed for the participants as new sources became
available and as the coordinators reassessed the needs of
the program. The series of nine seminars, from February through
June, begin with a public presentation by the interns from
the previous year. This provides the new interns an opportunity
to learn about what they may expect out of the program, to
ask questions, and to network with interns from previous years.
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At the
second seminar, interns are given guidance on the key elements
of family history and genealogy. Additionally they are coached
on oral history techniques so that they can begin immediately
to interview parents and relatives to gather genealogical
and family history information. They are also encouraged to
find old family photographs and documents and search for genealogy
records, with coordinators also giving help where needed to
interpret or identify documentary materials. -: At the third
seminar, the participants visit the National Archives in San
Bruno (8). They are given an orientation by the director on
the use of this important resource and a tour of the facility.
Additionally the interns receive valuable information on the
history of Chinese immigration to America, the development
of the Chinese American community and the effect of immigration
laws and American conditions leading to changes in Chinese
surnames, and the process of accessing family records. This
knowledge aids the re- searchers in appraising the reliability
of the information found in the archives.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth seminars dwell at some length
on the historical and geographical background of China. These
lectures help the interns to better understand and evaluate
information elicited from their oral interviews and from Chinese
genealogies, to sift myths and exaggerations from historical
realities, to place the materials in the proper historical
context, and to prepare them for the trip to China. Since
the interns' ancestral villages are in the Pearl River Delta
region, the provided background information focuses on regional,
geographical, and historical developments, as well as their
relations to Guangdong Province and all of China.
Seminar seven is dedicated to the history of Chinese immigration
to America and how it affects names and genealogical research.
After gaining an understanding of the history of Chinese in
America, the interns embark on a day-long trip, in seminar
eight, to the recently declared national historic site, the
Angel Island Immigration Station, located in the San Francisco
Bay. From 1910 to 1940, Chinese arriving to San Francisco
were detained, interrogated, and processed through this station
as part of the enforcement of the Exclusion Laws. It was here
that the massive immigration records were created, and it
was also here that many endured painful experiences, as evidenced
by the countless Chinese poems carved into the wooden walls
of the barracks (9).
The last seminar prepares the interns for their journey to
China. By this time, interns have obtained the appropriate
visas from the consulate of the People's Republic of China,
made all the necessary travel arrangements, received traveling
tips and instructions, and provided to the best of their ability
the pertinent information for the search of their ancestral
villages. Frequently interns from previous years join the
session to share their learning and experiences. The interns
also have the opportunity to view video documentaries of earlier
Chinese American trips to the Pearl River Delta region, such
as The New Americans: Chinese Roots (Donald Young), China,
Land of My Father (Felicia Lowe), or Separate Lives, Broken
Dreams (Jenny Lew).
For
two weeks in July the interns journey to southern China. Each
intern has the option of searching and visiting two ancestral
villages if he or she desires. Additionally they attend the
Guangdong Overseas Chinese Youth Festival, where they meet
young people of Chinese heritage from other parts of the world,
such as Germany, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Canada, Malaysia,
Madagascar, England, Indonesia, and Fiji. The 1999, 2000,
and 2001 interns also visited Beijing as part of the summer
youth program that was sponsored by the Beijing Overseas Chinese
Affairs Office.