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Making history: conference banquet tribute to Philip P. Choy and Him Mark Lai.

Article Excerpt
Good Evening Friends,

As shown on the screen, these two gentlemen are "most wanted"--but not by the FBI. They are most wanted in the field of Chinese American history. They are our elders, in both age and knowledge. They are Chinese America's venerable pioneers, not vulnerable pensioners. They are armed with wisdom, not weapon; they are generous, not dangerous. They have dedicated themselves to research, preserve, advocate, and disseminate Chinese American history They are Philip P. Choy and Him Mark Lai, lifetime members and leaders of the Chinese Historical Society of America and Adjunct Professors in the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University.

When Chinese American Studies began at San Francisco State after the 1968 Third World Student Strike, it was a time of desperation to find support to build and develop this new academic program in higher education. However, most of the Chinese scholars in American university campuses would not touch, let alone lend their professional support to this new discipline because of the societal perception of it being a short-lived, radicalized, political movement which would eventually disappear in no time. Yet, Phil and Him Mark were there, offering themselves to teach the first Chinese American history class in the country. With that beginning, Chinese American history began its existence and has become a pivotal course in the Asian American Studies curriculum.

Their class syllabus became a 1971 publication entitled, Outlines: History of the Chinese in America. This publication, with its yellow cover, didn't make them rich--no tenure, no promotion. But ever since its publication, Outlines has defined the direction on how to study Chinese American history. As of...

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