HONG Chew Yook (1870-1941) and CHIN Shee (1880-1963) - A Lifetime under the Chinese Exclusion Act

Chew Yook, 1899

My great-grandfather HONG Chew Yook 曾稠毓 also known as Hong Yin Ming 湯恩明 was born in San Francisco, CA in 1873, according to official U.S. documents.

Chew Yook was taken to China with his mother when he was seven years old. There he married CHIN Shee 陳氏. He returned to U.S. on June 18, 1888 aboard the S.S. Zambesi.

At that time, he had to sue in Federal court to be allowed to land.

This was six years after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 passed prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers, with exceptions for diplomats, teachers, students, merchants, and travelers. However, U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California ruled “In the Matter of Hong Yin Ming on Habeas Corpus,” case no. 6514, that HONG Chew Yook was a native-born American citizen. On February 20, 1989, he was released and allowed to land, 

These court records are the first documented evidence of the Hong Family in the United States. While the records refer to his birth in 1873, we do not have his birth certificate or information about his parents from any US documents. He may have in fact been born as early as 1869.

Where did the name Hong 湯 come from? Our family name in Chinese is 曾, which is transliterated as Dong from Toisanese, Tsang from Cantonese, Tseng from Taiwanese Mandarin, and Zeng in Mandarin pinyin. According to family lore, Yin Ming came to use the name HONG because American authorities in the 1800's confused Dong with the Cantonese word Tong which they recorded as the character "湯," and which was transliterated back to Toisanese "Hong". Chew Yook's descendants whose families arrived in the US before 1965 have used the surname Hong. More distant family members arriving more recently from China likely use the Mandarin Zeng.

In 1898, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case United States vs. Wong Kim Ark established birthright citizenship in the US and eased the way for Chinese American citizens to leave and return the United States. One year later, on July 14, 1899, Chew Yook returned to China on the S.S. Coptic using the U.S. District court case as proof of his citizenship and right to return to the United States.

Back home at the age of 29, Chew Yook reunited with his wife CHIN Shee 陳氏. In Chinese tradition, wives are known by their maiden names, and Chin Shee means Ms. Chin. My Grandfather Hock How was born on July 19, 1900. Chew Yook returned to America September 30, 1900 on the S.S. Coptic. His third trip to China was in September 1903. His son Quong How was born August 27, 1904. Chew Yook returned to the US on the S.S. China in September 1905. 

As was often the case with Chinese in America at the time, it was very difficult for Chinese men to bring their wives back to the United States. Under the Page Act of 1875, which preceded the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, any East Asian woman who would be engaged in prostitution was banned from entering the United States. In practice, almost all Chinese woman were considered to be immoral and barred from immigrating. Thus, Chin Shee remained in China and was separated from her husband for 36 of their 52 year marriage.

Chew Yook, 1916

Chew Yook returned in China 1913, then made his final trip to the U.S. in 1915 bringing Hock How with him this time. While in America, Chew Yook worked as a cook "out in the country" in Palo Alto, California. According to his son Hock How, Chew Yook worked “as a family cook for Mrs. E. B. Towne at 1005 Bryant St. and Lincoln Ave.” in Palo Alto, California.

Quong How joined his father and brother in America in 1923. In 1924 with the encouragement of Hock How, Chew Yook opened a restaurant in Redwood City. “Business was not very good,” according to Hock How, and after a year they lost money and withdrew.

Adopted Sons: Family was very important to Chew Yook, and one way to show fealty to his family was to share his good fortune with them. So, in addition to his two biological sons, Chew Yook adopted his nephews, Jeong Hing and Chun Mao, and his first cousin's son, Ning Bo.  Hong Ning Bo, the eldest, lived in America from 1909 to 1937, when he died at age 48. Ning Bo live for several years in Buffalo, NY.  Hong Choon Mao came to America with Quong How in 1923 and died in San Jose in 1984. Jeong Hing tried to enter the U.S. in 1931 but was denied entry and returned to China. According to Jeong Hing’s son Lan Fon, Lan Fon's 2nd cousin Ling Nan (Chew Yook’s nephew De Fu’s son) also eventually moved to the U.S. Photo of Jeong Hing and Chew Yook from a 1931, affidavit in which Chew Yook identifies Jeong Hing as his son to facilitate Jeong Hing’s arrival in San Francisco, CA. (Source: National Archives)

In the 1930 US Census, Chew Yook, age 61, was listed as living at 156 Cowper Street in Palo Alto as the cook for J. Everett and Grace E. Hollingsworth, ages 29 and 28, respectively.

In 1932, after living in America for 40 of the past 46 years, Chew Yook returned to China at the age of 63.

 Chew Yook and Chin Shee with their daughters-in-law, Chu Tui Goon (left) and Chin Tuey Oy (center), and grandchildren (Left to Right) Paul, Jack (back), Lin Jue (front), Ying Ngor, Lily, and Larry 1938

He died in July 1941 in his ancestral village, Dong An, Guangdong.

Hand Colored Photograph of Chin Shee, 1931

Chin Shee was born in 1880. After her marriage, she lived in Dong An village with her children, Hock How and Quong How, then later with Quong How's wife Chin Tuey Oy and two of their children Ying Nor and Lin Jue. Hock How wife, Chu Tui Goon and their son Larry also lived with Chin Shee.  Lin Jue's wife, CHIN Koon Hai, also stayed with Chin Shee for several years. According to Koon, after the Communist Revolution in 1949, Chin Shee and Koon were forced to kneel on broken glass because they were landowners. Hock How's daughter, Mary Lee, recalled that Hock How may have brought Chin Shee to live in Burma and Hong Kong. Chin Shee died in 1963 at the age of 83.

Undated Photo of Chin Shee

Biographical Details According to Village Records:

Chew Yook and Chin Shee,1938

Name: Hong Yin Ming 湯恩明 Tāng Ēn míng
Married Name: Kwai Sing 葵勝 Kuí shèng

Given Name: Chew Yook 稠毓 Chóu yù

Born 8th year of Emperor Tong Chi, year of the horse, 4th month, 11th day, hour of the snake (May 11, 1870, between 9-11am). Died Republic of China year 30 (1941), year of the snake, 7th month.

[Note the discrepancy between Chew Yook's birth year from village records and the US District Court/Immigration Records.]

Father: ZĒNG Zhǎn Qiú 曾搌裘 (1827-1901)

Mother: ZHAO Shee 趙氏 (b. ~1838) 

Wife: CHIN Shee 陳氏 (1880-1963)

Sons: 1. Hock How
          2. Quong How

Adopted Sons:    Ning Young (aka Ning Bo)
                            Choon Mao
                            Jeong Hing

Chew Yook was a 69^th generation descendant of the Confucian Sage, Zengzi (505-436 BCE).

Living Under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Tin-type photo of Hong Yin Ming, 1888. From U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California, “In the Matter of Hong Yin Ming on Habeas Corpus,” no. 6514. This case affirmatively established Hong Yin Ming's status as a natural born citizen of the United States. On the March 20, 2025 episode of Apex Express on SF Bay Area public radio station KPFA 94.1, historian David Lei cited Hong Yin Ming's case by name one of many Chinese American lawsuits laying the ground work for the Wong Kim Ark Supreme Court birthright citizenship case. Attorney A. L. Worley’s June 21, 1898, Affidavit that Hong Chew Yook is the same person mentioned in the 1888 court case establishing Hong Yin Ming’s status as a natural-born citizen of the United States. Affidavit was obtained prior to Chew Yook’s return to China on July 14, 1899, to prove his right to return to the US.  Certificate of Identity for Hong Yin Ming issued November 10, 1915. Under the Chinese Exclusion Act and subsequent laws, all Chinese residents of the United States were required to register with the Immigration Service and obtain a certificate of identity, which was to be carried at all times. Failure to produce a certificate could result in deportation or imprisonment. Only the testimony of a white person could prevent this.

Mrs. Edward Bancroft Towne of 1005 Bryant Street Emma Grace Stark Towne (September 9, 1860, Nashua, New Hampshire – January 19, 1937) came to Palo Alto in 1901 with her husband Edward Bancroft Towne, an avid ornithologist and furrier, settling in the prestigious Professorville neighborhood near Stanford University. After Edward died in February 1905, she purchased 1005 Bryant Street and commissioned a large living room addition in 1906. She managed the household — employing domestic staff — as well as adjacent real estate on Bryant Street, and raised her five children, including daughter Helen Estrella Towne, as a widow of independent means. Beyond her household, Emma was a dedicated civic presence and steward of her husband's scientific legacy. She donated his entire collection of 1,260 bird skins to the Stanford University Museum in 1907–1908, and in 1912 personally corresponded with renowned ornithologist Joseph Grinnell at UC Berkeley to arrange the transfer of rare California condor specimens. She joined the Unitarian Church of Palo Alto in October 1908, served on its Women's Alliance Hospitality Committee, and by the early 1920s was volunteering as a driver in the Stanford University Hospitals Clinics Auxiliary, transporting patients to and from medical care. She remained an active figure in Palo Alto community life until her death at age 76. The house at 1005 Bryant was originally built in 1893 for Professor Frank Angell and is wife Louise. Frank Angell was the first head of the Stanford Psychology Department and "Doc" Angell was the University's first track coach. Angell field was dedicated in his honor. The home was built in the Colonial Revival Style with some Shingle Style detailing, with oval windows, asymetrical entry, and a dominant double gambrel roof.

Sources:

United States National Archives

George, Carolyn. (2010). 2010 Holiday House Tour: Palo Alto’s First National Register District. 2010 Palo Alto Stanford Heritage Hoilday House Tour. https://www.pastheritage.org/HHTByYear/HHT2010.html#bry1005hht2010

Harper, Daniel. (2019). Unitarians in Palo Alto, 1891-1934 a biographical dictionary revised edition. Daniel Harper. https://www.danielharper.org/yauu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/UCPABiographicalDictionaryPROOF.pdf

Lee, Miko. (2026, March 25). Apex Express - 3.20.25- Wong Kim Ark. KPFA. https://kpfa.org/episode/apex-express-march-20-2025/ 

Nakamura, David. (2025, May 13). Wong Kim Ark’s descendants fight to uphold birthright citizenship Supreme Court victory - The Washington Post. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/05/13/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-wong-kim-ark/

   Wilbur, Sanford. R. (2012). California condor: Past, present, future. King Of The Condor Collectors | CALIFORNIA CONDOR: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE. http://www.condortales.com/california-condor/king-of-the-condor-collecto.html