Blogs by Jim, California, history, San FranciscoLeave a comment

Chinese Workers’ Mutual-Aid Ass’n

jimchiao

This image from Chinese People in American shows a storefront with a sign announcing the 4th anniversary of the Chinese Workers’ Mutual Aid Association (CWMAA) commemorated on 5 Oct. 1941 in San Francisco. CWMAA was an organization founded by Chinese cannery workers in 1937, and was a part of the left movements. For a long time, up to the mid 1930s, the Chinese workers in San Francisco saw little benefit in the union movement for cannery workers as they were the beneficiaries of the dominant Chinese contract system; their participation in any union movements seems non-existent and paled in comparison … Continue reading Chinese Workers’ Mutual-Aid Ass’n

Alaska, APA, Blogs by Kristin, historyLeave a comment

The Star of Bengal Shipwreck 1908

Kristin Wong

The Star of Bengal was a 263 foot three-masted iron-hulled bark that was acquired by the Alaska Packers Association (APA) in 1905 as part of their fleet of ships. Those outside of the seafood industry were converting from iron-hulled and wooden ships to steam powered vessels which were faster and more reliable. However, the APA sought to save money by using these older vessels because it was cheaper to operate and they were suited for the harsh Alaskan waters. On September 19, 1908, the Star of Bengal was the last ship to depart from the Wrangell cannery in southeastern Alaska, … Continue reading The Star of Bengal Shipwreck 1908

Blogs by Philip, WashingtonLeave a comment

Wing Luke Museum

Philip Chiao

It must be a twin brothers’ magical connection, I and James, without coordination, booked our trips to Seattle independently, only to find out we were to be there the same week and our schedule overlapped for a few days. We took advantage of the shared time to visit our alma mater, University of Washington together, and had dinner with our niece and her husband, both are currently working at the University Hospital in the last leg of their medical fellowship program. Due to schedule conflict, I and James visited the Luke Museum separately. I and my wife went on a … Continue reading Wing Luke Museum

Blogs by Jim, WashingtonLeave a comment

My Trip to Seattle, Nov. 2024

jimchiao

Wa left Union Station in Portland early in the morning, and arrived at King St. Station in Seattle some three and half hours later. We stepped out of the station, and arrived at a city that was so familiar and yet strange to me. It was familiar because I spent four years at University of Washington in Seattle from 1969 to 1973. It was strange because the city landscape has changed so much over the past 50+ years. Before the 3-day trip, I have set a goal to visit the following three places in Seattle: 1. University of Washington, 2. … Continue reading My Trip to Seattle, Nov. 2024

Blogs by Jim, Columbia River, Oregon2 Comments

My Trip to Portland, Nov. 2024

jimchiao

Two weeks ago, I took a trip to Portland, Oregon. I have never been to Portland before, and I wanted to explore the city, its surrounding natural beauties, and visit some old friends. Another hidden agenda for me was to find out anything that is related to salmon fishing or salmon canning history – and I was not disappointed. For the first afternoon, we joined a tour group and visited Columbia River Gorge and its waterfalls along Historic Columbia River Highway. At Multnomah Falls, we witnessed the wonder of one of the tallest year-around waterfalls in the US. In front … Continue reading My Trip to Portland, Nov. 2024

Alaska, Blogs by KristinLeave a comment

The Silver Horde Film

Kristin Wong

I thought that it would be interesting to watch this movie because it took place in Alaska at a salmon cannery in the 1920s and was loosely based on the real life adventurer, Crescent Porter Hale (1872-1937). He had built 9 salmon canneries in Bristol Bay, Alaska in which 2 of them remain open (Peterson Point and Ekuk canneries). He also acquired other canneries over the years and became a prolific businessman in the salmon canning industry. I really did not know what to expect from the movie or know how much of it would take place in an actual … Continue reading The Silver Horde Film

APA, Blogs by Philip, CaliforniaLeave a comment

Star of India

Philip Chiao

On your recent trip to San Diego, our hotel happens to be located on the waterfront facing the ocean and N. Harbor Drive. From the hotel window, we can see a collection of historical ships on display at the dock including the Star of India — one of the last two remaining ships from the famed Star Fleet owned by the Alaska Packer’s Association back in the early 20th century. The ocean was calm, and the wind mild; it reminded me of Max Stern , his ship stuck on the high sea during his 1922 voyage to Alaska, when he … Continue reading Star of India

Blogs by Jim, Columbia River, OregonLeave a comment

Rudyard Kipling’s Description of a 19th Century Oregon Salmon Cannery and Chinese Laborers

jimchiao

Who is Kipling? If you don’t know his name, you might have known him through the popular Disney movie The Jungle Book or the classic movie The Man Who Would Be King. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), born in British India, was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was a hugely-popular author of The Jungle Book and Kim, and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is a surprise to find his writing about a salmon cannery and Chinese workers, but it all happened on a trip … Continue reading Rudyard Kipling’s Description of a 19th Century Oregon Salmon Cannery and Chinese Laborers

Alaska, Blogs by Kristin, California, San FranciscoLeave a comment

“Illness among Chinese recently returned from Salmon Canneries of Alaska” -October 30, 1900

Kristin Wong

The journalist Max Stern, of the book “The Price of Salmon” edited by James and Philip Chiao, may have given the readers of the San Francisco Daily News in 1922 his own first hand accounts of the horrible living conditions aboard the Emily F. Whitney as it travelled from Pier 29 in San Francisco to the salmon cannery in Bristol Bay that summer. He went on to describe the the unsanitary conditions, segregation by ethnicities, and the awful food that they were given. It seems like things did not change by the time he boarded that ship because 22 years … Continue reading “Illness among Chinese recently returned from Salmon Canneries of Alaska” -October 30, 1900

Alaska, Blogs by Kristin, San Francisco, Webinar/TalkLeave a comment

San Francisco Maritime Museum “The Price of Salmon” Book Presentation

Kristin Wong

On June 2nd, 2024, James, Philip, and I were invited by the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park to participate in their Labor History Talks Series, which focuses on the nuances of … Continue reading San Francisco Maritime Museum “The Price of Salmon” Book Presentation