My grandfather HONG Hock How
曾學厚 was born on 23rd day of the
6th month of the 26th Year of the Emperor Guang Xu (July 19, 1900), in
the waning days of the Qing Dynasty in
Dong An Village, Taishan County, Guangdong Province
廣東省台山縣東安村. He spent his
boyhood years in the village, entering school at age 7 where he spent his
first four years memorizing books and learning how to write.
The Chinese Revolution of 1911
In 1911, the Chinese Revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty, and the Republic
of China was established on January 1, 1912. The revolution signaled the end
of 2,000 years of dynastic rule in China and the start of China's early
republican period. The revolution accelerated the modernization of daily life
in China, and for Hock How, it meant his school was re-organized and divided
into different classes. He continued to study there until he was 15 years
old.
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Hock How, 1915
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In February 1915, Hock How’s father,
Hong Chew Yook, returned to their village from America. At Hock How's grandmother's
insistence, he married NG Chau Hai, “a very pretty girl", in April 1915. Hock
How returned to America with his father on October 27, 1915. He was detained
on Angel Island while his citizenship status was investigated. After the
initial interrogation, Hock How's application was reject, and he faced
deportation. Chew Yook hired a lawyer who petitioned the Labor Department in
Washington DC. Eventually, his petition was granted, and on February 23, 1916,
Hock How was admitted to the U.S. as the son of a native-born citizen.
Once in Palo Alto, Hock How spent a month teaching himself to read English
with the help of friends and was eventually placed in 4th grade at
the Lytton Primary School. In 1918, his wife, NG Chau Hai, had a heart attack
and died while traveling to her younger brother’s wedding. According to Hock
How “that news knocked me off my feet, but thereafter I determined to put all
my energy into study.” He continued his studies at Palo Alto Union High School
and went on to qualify for admissions to Stanford University’s School of
Engineering.
From the time he started Primary School, Hock How worked for families as a
house boy, doing odd jobs in the house including cooking and cleaning. This
work earned him “a room in the back barn, breakfast, and evening meal, and $20
per month.” He first worked for Mr. Nagle, then Professor Fish, and finally
Mrs. J. F. Newsom at 1129 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, eventually earning $40 a
month.
