Previously, I have provided an overview of the United States Immigration Service investigation of Jue Family on Angel Island in 1918. The following is the full transcript of my great grandfather Jew Joe's initial interview in support of his application for his family to be allowed entry into the United States.
United States Immigration Service , Chinese Division
April 30,1918
17110/10-2,10-3,10-4
Leong Shee, Jew Sun Yew and Jew Sun Teong
Inspector: J.B. Sawyer
Interpreter: C.Richards
Stenographer: E.C. Benson
Statement of alleged husband and father, Sworn
Speaks See Yip dialect: Interpreter qualified
Admonished if you do not understand the Interpreter to immediately so state.
Q What is your name?
A Jew Joe by which I am known among the Americans. Jew Soong is my boy-hood name, and my marriage name is Jew Pan Jeong. No other names.
Q How old are you?
A 62 years and a few months.
Q Have you an extra photograph of yourself?
A No, I didn't bring any.
Q Under the rules it is necessary to submit an extra photograph for all the records before proceeding with the case, if we proceed with the case at this time will you agree to submit a photograph as soon as possible?
A Yes.
Witness is measured. Height 5ft, 6-1/4 inches without shoes; marks of identification; little finger of left hand crooked, small scar end of right eye brow.
Q Have you any identification papers?
A Witness presents certificate of residence No. 143657, issued in lieu of certificate No. 130256 and signed F.F. Sargent, Commissioner General of Immigration, Washington D.C. This certificate issued in the name of Jew Joe, age 39, residence,St.Helena, California, occupation, farmhand; height 5ft-7 1/2 inches; no marks of identification; dated Sacramento, California, May 3,1894.
Inspector's note: After careful comparison of witness withh the photograph on this certificate I am inclined to believe that the witness is the rightful holder although the difference in their appearance indicates that he has changed considerably in apperance since the photograph was taken.
Q When was this photograph taken?
A 1st month of K. S. 32 (February 1906)
Q Isn't it remarkable for you to have changed in appearance in those years?
A I am stouter now.
Q Where were you born?
A In the Sam Goong village in the Sun Woey district
Q When did you first come to this country?
A When I was 18 years old. I don't remember in what year I came, I was 18 years old.
Q How many trips to China have you made since then?
A One trip.
Q Give me the full particulars of that trip?
A Departed K.S. 28-4-2 or 3 (May 9 or 10,1902) S.S. Nippon Maru, and returned K.S. 32-1-10 (February 3,1906) S.S. Mongolia, and I made the trip under the name of Jew Joe. I went as a laborer.
Q Have you secured the admission of any members of your family before?
A No
Q Do you identify these photographs (showing photographs in the present case)
A This is Gage Wong, my partner. This is my picture. This is my wife. This is my youngest son, Jew Sun Teong (Sin Chong). This is Jew Sun Yeaw (Sin Yew) my eldest son. This is my cousin, Lee Bing.
Inspector's note: Identification of photographs correct.
Q For whom are you appearing today.
A I am a witness for my wife and two sons whose photographs I have identified.
Inspector's note: Certificate of residence presented by the witness and indorsed with reference to the present case and returned to the witness. It bears no indorsement referring to any other case.
Q You are advised that we should have a duplicate set of the affidavit offered in these cases and we now have only one complete set, will you see to it that a second set is furnished?
A I will
Q Has your mercantile status been investigated in connection with these cases ?
A It has.
Q How many times have you been married?
A Once
Q What is your wife's name?
A Leong Ho.
Q How old is she?
A 35 years
Q What kind of feet?
A Natural feet.
Q When did you marry her?
A In K.S. 28-9 or 10 (October or November 1902)
Q Of what village is she a native?
A Ma Choong village, Sun Woey district.
Q How many children have you had by her?
A Two.
Q Give me their ages, date of birth and whereabouts?
A Jew Sun Yew (Sin Yew) 15 years old, born K.S 29-8-17 (Octobert 7,1903) in Sam Gong Village. He is at the station now. Jew Sun Teong (Sin Choong) born K.S. 31-7-17(August 17, 1905) age 13 years old: born in Sam Gong village and now at this station appearing for admission.
Q Have you ever had any other children?
A No
Q How old were these children when you saw them last?
A The eldest child was about 2 1/2 years old and the youngest child was about 4 1/2 months old.
Q What is your father's name?
A Jee Leung Kow.
Q Is he living ?
A He has been dead a long time.
Q When did he die? I don't remember, I was in California then.
Q Was it before you were married?
A My father died before my marriage.
Q What is your mother's name.
A Lee Shee.
Q Is she living?
A She is dead.
Q When did she die?
A In K.S. 20-1-20 (February 17,1903) She died at the Sam Gong village.
Q Have you any brothers or sisters?
A There were four boys and one girl in our family.
Q Give me their names, ages, and whereabouts and particulars regarding their families if any?
A Jew Niu, he is dead, he died in Alaska. I don't remember in what year. He was drowned on a vessel which was going to the canneries to Alaska about 20 years ago.
He was married and had one son and no daughters; son's name is Jew Mun Jew. I don't know his age exactly; he is in China; he is about 40 years of age. I am the 2nd son. The third, Jew See, brother, he is 53 or 54 years of age, I don't know exactly. he is in China; his family lives in the Sam Gong village. I don't know his wife's name; I don't know whether he has any children; since he went to China I have not heard from him.
Q When did he go to China?
A I don't remember the year he went. He went to China from Paris, France.
Q Was he ever in this country?
A Yes, he studied English in this country about 20 years.
Q Where did he study English?
A At Los Angeles, Pasadena and Pomona.
Q When you were last in China was he married?
A No, he was not in China then.
Q Proceed with your next brother or sister?
A Jew Yow brother; he is dead; he died more than 20 years ago .
Q Was he ever in this country?
A No.
Q Where did he die?
A In China, Sam Gong village.
Q Did he have a family?
A Yes, he had one son.
Q What was his son's name?
A Jew Fook
Q How old is Jew Fook?
A I don't remember, I was not at home when he was born.
Q Did you ever see him?
A Yes
Q When did you see him?
A I saw him at my village.
Q How old was he then?
A 6 or 7 years old.
Q Was that at the time of our last trip (1902 to 1906)?
A Yes
Q Do you mean to say he was 6 or 7 at the time you arrived in 1902 or the time you arrived in this country 1906?
A He was about 6 or 7 years old the year I arrived in China.
Q Then he would be about 22 or 23 now, would he not?
A Yes, I thiink more than that .
Q Is he married?
A I don't know, I have been in this country more than 10 years.
Q Proceed with your next brother or sister?
A My sister is older than me; her name is Jew Ho and she is about 65 years old; she is now in Nam Noong village, Sun Woey district; she is married' I don't know her husband's name, he is dead.
they have one son Leung(something.) I don't know his given name; I don't know how old the child is. Just they have one son.
Q Have you ever seen the son?
A No.
Q How far is your sister's place(Nam Noong village) from your village?
A About 2 or 3 poles (20 or 30 leas).
Q How many houses are there in Sam Goong village?
A I don't know how many houses; it is a very large village and there are more than 10,000 people there.
Q What is the name of local division of the Sam Goong village in which you live?
A Dai Hoong Lee.
Q How large is Dai Hoong Lee?
A About 200 people there.
Q How many houses?
A I could not tell you how many houses.
Q In which way does Dai Hong Lee face?
A It faces south.
Q How many rows of houses are there?
A There are about 7 or 8 rows.
Q What is the location of your house?
A It is the 4th house, 4th row, counting from the stone road at the head of the village.
Q Which end of the village is the head?
A The head of the village is to the West.
Q Where does the stone road lead to?
A It goes to the farms to the east.
Q Did you state that the stone road is at the west of the village ?
A It runs East and West.
Q Does it pass your village in front or rear?
A In the rear.
Q Can you get onto the road at the east end or tail off your village?
A No
Q Who else lives at your home. 4 th house, 4th row?
A My house stands on the 4th block; the first lot is vacant and the second lot has a house; there is no house on the 3rd lot; the 4th lot contains my house.
Q Who occupies your house?
A My wife and sons live there.
Q Has anyone else lived there since your marriage?
A No, I heard that my brother , Jew See lived there after he went to China.
Q Do you understand that that has been his only home since you went to China?
A I don't know . I heard that Jew Yow was living in my house.
Q If Jew See has made his home in the same house as your family don't you know whether he has a family
and who composes that family?
A My wife and sons wrote a letter saything that my brother Jew See and his wife were living in my house; they did not say whether they had any children.
Q How long has Jew See been making his home in your house?
A 3 or 4 years according to their letter.
Q Which part of the house do they occupy?
A I don't know.
Q Where is the home of your nephew Jew Mun Jew, the son of your brother Jew Nui?
A He lives at Dai Hoong Lee in the 2nd row in the 5th house. When I came to this country there was vacant lot in the 2nd row that may have been a house built there since.
Q Who is living with Jew Mun Jew in the 2nd row of the 5th house?
A He and his wife are living there.
Q Wasn't his mother living with them?
A Mother was dead .
Q How long has he been marrried?
A I don't know how long.
Q Have you ever heard of him having a child.
A No.
Q Has Jew Mun Jew ever been in this country?
A No
Q. What is his occupation?
A He is a farmer.
Q Where is Jew Fook, the son of your brother Jew Yow?
A He lives in the next house to mine. I occupy 2/3rds of the lot and they occupy the other 3rd.
Q Which 3rd does Jew Fook occupy, the west 3rd or east 3rd.?
A The west 3rd.
Q Who lives with him?
A He lived there alone when I came away; his parents were dead.
Q According to your testimony he was only 11 years old when you came away?
A He was about that age.
Q Did he occupy a house all alone at that age ?
A He occupied the house but ate his meals at my house.
Q Are the two houses both together as one house with no space between?
A No space between
Q Where did you get water for household purposes?
A From the well
Q What was the position of the well in the village?
A It was at the tail of the village.
Q Was the well surrounded by any wall or other protection?
A There was tone built up around it.
Q How high did the stone stand from the ground?
A The stone was about 10 inch high.
Q Was this stone construction circular or square?
A It was square.
Q Who is the identifying witness in this case?
A Lee Bing.
Q How long have you known Lee Bing?
A I have known him since he was a boy.
Q How long has he been in this country?
A 20 or 30 years.
Q What does he know about your family?
A My mother is Lee Bing's aunt.
Q Then you and Lee Bing are first cousins?
A Yes
Q What was his mother's name?
A I don't know.
Q Know what family she belonged to ?
A I don't know her family name.
Q What was his father's name?
A Lee Yick Ngng
Q How is Lee Yick Nng related to you?
A He is my maternal uncle, my mother's youngest brother.
Q Is he living?
A Dead.
Q How long has he been dead?
A I don't know.
Q Very long?
A A long time; I don't know how long.
Q Where is Lee Bing's home in China?
A Lin Hong, Sun Way district.
Q How far is that from your village?
A About 3 poles.
Q How does he know the members of your family?
A He visited my home since I was in China.
Q When was that?
A About C.R. 3rd year (1914).
Q Give me full particulars of his trip to China (1915)?
A He went to China C.R. 2nd or 3rd Year (1913 or 1914), I don't remember what month or vessel. He returned in C.R. 3rd year and did not remain in China quite a year.
Q How many visits has he made to your home ?
A He vistited there when I was a boy and visited several times after he went to China?
Q When he visited there when he was a boy did you have a family?
A No
Q How many times has he visited your home since you have been married?
A He has been there several times. I was not in China when he was there.
Q How many trips to China has he made since you were married?
A Two trips
Q Give full particulars of previous trip?
A Departed in K.S 32 (1906) I don't remember the month nor what vessel he went on. He returned K.S.32 (1907). I don't know what month or what vessel he returned on.
Q Then the only times he has seen members of your family is on the two trips you have mentioned.
A Yes.
Q Do yout know how many times he visited your family on the first trip?
A I do nott know, I was not home.
Q Do you know whether he visited your home at all on that trip?
A I asked him to take some money to China to my family.
Q How much money?
A $50.00
Q Anything else?
A No.
Q Do you know whether or not he did take the $50.00 to your family?
A Yes.
Q Do you know whether he made more than that one visit to your family on that trip?
A I don't know that.
Q What do you know about his visits to your family on the 2nd trip?
A I asked him to take $50.00 for me on the 2nd trip.
Q Did you know whether he made more than one vissit to your family on the 2nd trip?
A I don't know.
Q Have you anything further to state?
A Nothing more.
Inspector's note: Our record No. 10093/29 shows the landing of Jew Joe as an overtime laborer of Los Angeles, ex. S. S. Mongolia, January 26, 1906, landed on instructions in Departmental telegram of February 6,1906. The record shows that Jew Joe departed for China, May 9,1902, by S.S. Nippon Maru. This record contains no photograph of the person to whom it refers, but the records identifies said person with certificate of residence 143557 which has already been identified with the witness. Consequently, I am of the opinion the record under consideration is that of the present witness.
Q. Have you the papers upon you showing your landing as a laborer in 1906?
A No; it was taken from me by Government authorities.
Q Anything further to state .
A No.
Q Have you understood the Interpreter(thru Inspector Sawyer in Chinese)?
A I have .
Signed,
Jew Joe ( Original Signature in Chinese and English)
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