Yin & Yang Press: Blog

Tracing My Unexpected Journey

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:40:58 -0600

I've created a log of the wonderful opportunities that I've had to meet and talk to organizations all over the country about my research on Chinese American history.

Key Events in Writing and Promoting "Southern Fried Rice"

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:39:29 -0500

How does one plan the writing and promoting of a book? Try as you might, many aspects are totally unplanned and just a matter of good luck. In creating a map or guide covering the past year and a half, I identify the key events and people behind my journey to record a part of Chinese American and Southern history. Hopefully, this record may be helpful to others who attempt to write and promote their own stories.

San Diego Chinese Historical Museum Book Signing

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:41:40 -0600

Dec. 2, 2006 I had the opportunity to talk about Southern Fried Rice to a receptive audience at San Diego's beautiful Chinese Historical Museum. By coincidence, they still had their excellent exhibit on San Diego's Chinese laundries. It was a pleasure to meet many audience members afterwards at a nice reception held in the lovely Museum patio.

Going Home to Macon

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:27:39 -0600

What an experience! The Georgia Literary Festival was held in Macon, my home town and site of the story in Southern Fried Rice. On Nov. 4, I got to talk about SFR to an audience about the history of Chinese in their town. I got to give two other talks over the next two days. The response was warm and congenial, and I met many people who showed genuine interest. Also I even met people I had gone to junior high school with over 50 years ago, so it was an incredible experience. Needless to add, much had changed for the better since I left Macon in 1952 before the rise of the Civil rights movement. And while the city had reinvented itself, trying to promote cultural-historical and tourist events, it still retained a sense of the slower pace of life I remember about the Southern way of life.

Hometown Newspaper Interview

Mon, 15 May 2006 15:57:16 -0500

A popular columnist, Ed Grisamore, for my hometown paper, The Macon Telegraph learned about Southern Fried Rice and called to interview me. He had been researching some other topic in the library when the historian showed him SFR which led him to write an article about the story of our family. Suddenly, several boyhood friends who read the article popped out of the blue and contacted me, and invited me to come back to Macon for a visit. It was an unexpected pleasure! Isn't it amazing the power of a printed newspaper article .

Atlanta...what a trip!

Tue, 02 May 2006 09:46:07 -0500

It was a whirlwind 24 hours. Friday evening I had a great time interacting with a young Asian American professional audience over early Chinese American experiences in the South at a National Asian American Assn of Professionals (NAAAP) meeting. The Atlanta event was sponsored by GAP, Inc. and held at the UPS Corporate Headquarters. I met many who felt they had many common experiences with those I had a generation earlier. On Sat evening,I had the privilege of giving the keynote address, "All I really needed to know, I learned in a Chinese laundry" at the Who's Who in Asian American Communities (in Georgia) held at the Omni Hotel with about 500 guests. The talk was well received. At the event, I met many high ranking diplomats, corporate leaders, community leaders, educators and it gave much visibility to SOUTHERN FRIED RICE, and the Chinese immigrant experience in the South!

Marching Back to Atlanta

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 23:21:43 -0500

Luckily, my visit to Atlanta to give an academic paper to the Assn Asian American Studies about the 19 Chinese laundries of my g-g grandfather in the Deep South helped me gain some invaluable and unexpected opportunities. First, the local Organiz of Chinese Americans saw a chance to have me speak before their group at their monthly meeting. It was also my good luck that they were having a 10 course dinner. I shortened my talk because it is difficult to face an audience after a full meal for both the speaker and the audience. Still, the question and answer session was lively and ran for another hour. Secondly, I got invited to return at the end of April to give a keynote address to the Who's who in Asian American Communities in Georgia. Thirdly,my talk at the OCA dinner went so well that the Atlanta chapter of the National Assoc of Asian American professionals invited me back to Atlanta the day before my other speaking event. Finally, a delegation from the CCBA of Augusta came to the conference and attended my talk even though they knew I was planning to go to Augusta in 2 days to speak to their group. All of this would not have happened if I had not taken the chance and submitted a paper to the Assn of Asian Amer Studies conference!

New York Museum of Chinese in the Americas

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:30:47 -0500

After leaving Georgia, I went to NY Chinatown and had a nice session in the Museum there with a friendly group crowded into the small space there. This crowding was good in that it helped establish very good rapport. At the signing, almost everyone wanted to share aspects of their lives growing up Chinese. Most appropriately, the location where I stood to speak from was right in front of the Museum laundry exhibit, complete with a red "Chinese Laundry"sign and old unclaimed wrapped laundry packages as my backdrop.

Book Event at Augusta Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:26:52 -0500

I had the opportunity to visit and speak in Augusta, the city with the largest CHinese population in Georgia during the early part of the 20th century, where most immigrants ran grocery stores in the black neighborhoods. A potluck dinner, most enjoyable, was held at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association with about 75 people present. This was my first ever trip to Augusta, but a very emotional one, as my father had worked there for several years when he first came to America. The people were very friendly, and very interested in how different my experiences had been from theirs, as Augusta has a strong Chinese community. I felt as if I had known these people for many years.

Book Talk and Dinner Organization of Chinese Americans Atlanta Chapter

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 18:40:54 -0500

Luckily, the Atlanta chapter of this national organization to promote the well-being and interests of Chinese Americans learned about my visit to Atlanta. They invited me to speak at a dinner with over 100 guests followed by a book signing. The evening started on several bad notes, with potential disaster (restaurant issues and computer glitches), but all worked out well just in the nick of time. My talk led to about an hour's work of Q and A and I met many wonderful people in the process.