Saturday, June 30, 2012

Immigration Interview Sun Tong/Jue Family on Angel Island 1918

Jue San Tong was my paternal grandfather. (His Chinese name is spelled Jew SunTeong in this interview) . Although he seems like a very cool headed 13 year old boy in this transcribed interview, my grandfather always remembered the Angel Island interrogation as very frightening when asked about this experience later in life!


Statement of Applicant 10-4    Interpreter  Pon Fang.
Sworn
Speaks See Yip, Interpreter qualified.
Admonished if you do not understand the interpreter to immediately so state.

Q What is your name?
A Jew Sun Teong.
Q How old are you ?
A 13 years.
Q Date of birth?
A K.S. 31-7-17 (Aug. 17, 1905)
Q What is your father's name?
A Jew Joe, Jew Soong.  I only know  two names.
Q How old is he ?
A 62.
Q Did you ever see your father?
A I saw him when I was a little boy and we have a big picture of him at the home.
Q What is your mother's name?
A  Leong Shee.
Q  How old is she?
A 35
Q Any  brothers or sisters?
A Have one brother, no sisters.
Q  Give the name , age and date of birth of your brother?
A Jew Sun Yew. 15 years.  I  don't know date of birth.
Q Did you are ever see your paternal grandfathers?
A No , neither of them. They died a long time ago.
Q Did your father have any brothers or sisters?
A Yes, four brothers including my father and one sister.
Q How many of those are living?
A Two living and two dead.
Q What are the names of the two living?
A Jew See and my father.
Q Where is Jew See living?
A Living in Sam Goong, Dai Hai Lee.
Q In what house?
A The same house with us.
Q What is the location  of your house?
A 4th row 4th house.
Q Has Jew See a family?
A Yes.
Q Is his wife living?
A Yes.
Q How many children has she?
A One boy and one girl.
Q What  are their names and ages?
A Jew Sin Nam, 14 years or 15. Jew Mun Sui, 3 or 4 years old.
Q Did they all live in your house?
A Yes.
Q Do you know Jew Mun Jew?
A Yes, my uncle's son.
Q Which uncle's son?
A My oldest uncle's son.
Q Where does Jew Mun Jew live?
A Not far from our house.
Q Same row with your house.
A No , not on the same row.
Q Toward the tail of the village?
A  Near the tail of the village.
Q Do you know Jew Fook?
A Yes.
Q How is he related to you?
A He is the son of my  4th uncle.
Q Where does he live?
A He lives with us and sleeps with the boys outside.
Q Does Jew Mun Jew have a family?
A He has a son but his wife died.
Q What is the son's name?
A Chu Lam
Q What is his age?
A About my size.
Q  Doesn't Chin Lan have a brother or sister?
A He has an older sister and younger sister, but no brother.
Q  When did Jew Mun Jew's wife die?
A She died 3 or 4 years ago.
Q Did Jew Fook ever sleep in a house near you?
A Yes , a long time ago.
Q Where was that house located?
A  The 4th house on the 4th row.
Q That is the same location given for your house, isn't it?
A Yes.
Q What part of the house does he sleep in?
A On the lower part of the house.
Q What do you mean by the lower part of the house?
A It was in a small house right close to our house, but  when his mother died he came to sleep in our house.
Q Did that small house touch your house?
A  Yes, close together.
Q On which side of your house was it?
A On the west side.
Q Is there any alley that runs between that house and the small house.
A No.
Q Do you identify these photographs ( applicant shown photographs in the present case)?
A  My father,  I don't know this man ( indicating manager of alleged father's firm).
My mother, my brother , myself and Lee Bing.  Identifcation of all photographs correct.
Q Have you anything  further to state?
A No.
Q Have you understood the Interpreter (by Inspector Sawyer in Chinese)?
A Yes.

Inspector's note-  The three applicants and the alleged father are brought into my presence and a careful comparison is made for resemblance.  In my opinion, applicant 10-3 bears a close family resemblance to the father and in my opinion applicant 10-4 bears some family resemblance to his alleged father although not as distinctly a resemblance as borne by the applicant 10-3.  In my opinion  the two boys  bear a good general appearance to one another.  I see no special resemblance between the alleged mother and two boys.  In my opinion, the appearance of the family in a whole is satisfactory and there is nothing to suggest that either boy is an outsider.

May 2, 1918.

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