The Legacy of Amy Jangby Patty Jang Chan In the last several years, I have been trying to document family stories for my genealogical research. This is a story about my mother, Amy, and her impetus for starting the South Bay Chinese Club. Amy grew up in Locke, California, in the Sacramento Delta region. Locke is the only town built by and for Chinese immigrants in the USA because of Chinese exclusion laws in place in those days. Her father owned the Happy Cafe on Main Street and Amy went to segregated elementary schools growing up. Amy was 4 through 16 years old during the Great Depression and 16 when World War II started. Being one less mouth to feed in a family of 7, she was sent to live with various family members throughout high school. The hardships of being a newcomer during these years shaped her into a person who valued inclusivity. My brothers and I all remember Mom and Dad’s humble and gracious hospitality, as they invited our college friends to join us for Thanksgiving and other celebrations. These meals embraced friends unable to travel home for the holidays. Mom and Dad’s inclusive spirit left an enduring mark on us, fostering a sense of welcome and belonging, and nurturing empathy towards outsiders. I remember being in kindergarten when we first moved to Fremont, California. Back in 1958, it seemed that there were very few Chinese at the time living in that area; at least we didn’t know anyone. My mom picked me up from ballet class and there was a little Chinese girl named Janice Taam also waiting for her mother to pick her up (pre-cell phone days). We gave her a ride home from ballet class (pre-child abduction days) where mom met Janice’s mother, Joan. The idea for the South Bay Chinese Club formed because of their plan to organize the local Chinese community in what would be akin to a Chinese family association or “tong”. Now I can see the fruition of her wish to feel she belonged. In forming the South Bay Chinese Club, what she wanted was to tell other local Chinese families: There aren’t many Chinese families like us around here, so let’s stick together to provide community and mutual aid. My mom & dad organized a meeting at their house and invited all the Chinese they DID know in the local area. This eventually formed the Charter Group of the South Bay Chinese Club. This may be hard to imagine nowadays since the South Bay Area of San Francisco Bay has Chinese everywhere. What I think she would want her legacy to be is this: please remember to include ALL Chinese, including immigrants, whether you come from mainland China, Taiwan, or anywhere around the world. This is a place of sanctuary where you can feel welcomed. You belong among us because you are Chinese, even if genetically not 100%. We have a rich culture that we can be very proud of, and no one can make us feel otherwise or “other”-wise. Amy passed away in January 2024 at age 98, leaving behind a loving family and a community enriched by her empathetic spirit. Let us honor her memory by continuing to embrace inclusivity and lift each other up, just as she did throughout her life.
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