In previous posts, I have provided an overview of the Angel Island investigation of the Jue Family in 1918. Other posts have provided transcripts of the initial testimony of Jew Joe, Lee Bing (identifying witness), Leong Shee , Sun Yew, and Sun Tong.
The re-examination phase of an Angel Island Immigration investigation was often quite intimidating for applicants for entry . During this phase, inconsistencies between testimonies between alleged family members were highlighted and the applicants were aggressively questioned. Note the aggressive manner the inspector grills Jew Joe about his lack of knowledge about the families of his brother Jew Shee and his nephew Jew Mun Jew. P.S. The son of Jew Mun Jew discussed in this interview, Chan Lum, later emigrated to the United States as a "paper son." The immigration was arranged by Jew Joe. Chan Lum was known as "Loon" and was the father of my cousins Jimmy and Ming Loon.
UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION SERVICE
CHINESE DIVISION
ANGEL ISLAND, CAL MAY 1ST , 1918
17119/10-2, Leong Shee, Wife of Mer.
17119/10-3, Jew Sun Yeaw, Son of Mer.
17119/10-4, Jew Sun Tong, Son of Mer.
Ex SS "Columbia", April 24, 1918
Inspr: J.B. Sawyer
Inspr: Mr. Wisner
Steno: D. Clement
Reexamination of Applicant 10-3, Sworn and admonished, Speaks See Yip dialect, Intpr. Qualifies.
Q What is your name ?
A Jew Sun Yeaw.
Q Do you identify these photographs (showing photographs on identification papers in present case) ?
A I don't know this one ( indicating photo of manager). This is my father Jew Joe, this is my mother and myself, my younger brother, and Lee Bing , my uncle. ( Identification correct).
Q How long have you known Lee Bing?
A About three years.
Q Where did you first meet him?
A In the Dai Hong Lee village of the Sam Gong section, Sun Wuey District.
Q Tell me the circumstances under which you have known him?
A He came to visit our place.
Q Did you ever see him anywhere else than at your home village?
A No. no other place, but I saw him once when I was small at home.
Q How many times have you seen him in all ?
A Five or six times I should say.
Q You say that you saw him when you were small. Do you remember anything about that visit?
A Yes.
Q How old were you at that time?
A No , I don't remember , I was only one or two years old.
Q When was the first time that you remember him coming to your home?
A In KS 32 (1906)
Q How old were you then?
A Two or three years old .
Q How can you remember that visit if you were only two or three years old?
A Yes , I can remember.
Q When was the next time that he visited your home?
A In CR 3(1914)
Q When he came to your house in KS 32 (1906) was he in China on a visit or had he never been away from China?
A He had been to America and returned to China.
Q How many times did he visit your home on the trip he made to China at that time?
A Two or three times.
Q When he visited your home in CR 3 , was he also on a trip from the U.S.A.
A Yes.
Q How many visits did he make to your home on that trip?
A Two or three times.
Q Has he made any other trips to China that you remember besides the one in KS32 and CR 3?
A I only know of these two trips.
Q What was the purpose of his visits to your home on this last trip?
A Just the visit , as far as I know.
Q Did you ever know him to bring anything to your home?
A I don't know of anything of that sort.
Q Did you ever hear that he had brought any money or letter or gift from your father in the United States?
A No.
Q Do you remember regarding any of his visits, how long he stayed and whether he took any meals at your home and whether he spent any nights at your home ?
A Yes , he ate rice and stayed all night .
Q Have you anything further to state .
A No
Q Have you understood the interpreter?
A Yes ( thru Ins. Sawyer)
signed in Chinese
Re-examination of Applicant 10-4 ,Sworn and admonished
Interpreter H.K. Tang, qualifies. Applicant speaks See Yip, Sun Wuey District dialect.
Q What is your name?
A Jew Sun Tong
Q Did you identify a photograph of Lee Bing yesterday?
A Yes
Q How long have you known that man?
A I saw him three years ago.
Q Where is he now?
A Now in Los Angeles, Cal.
Q Had he been in the United States before you saw him three years ago?
A Yes.
Q How long was he in China on that trip when you saw him three years ago?
A I don't know how long he stayed in China that time but he had been in our house two or three times.
Q Do you mean that he visited your home three times on his trip to China about three years ago?
A Two or three times .
Q What was the purpose of those visits?
A He came to visit us because he is a relative of ours by marriage.
Q Did he bring any letter,money or gifts or anything to your home?
A I don't know because I was at school. I just saw him there when he came.
Q Did he take any meals at your home or stay over night at that time.
A Yes he ate with us and stayed over night.
Q Do you remember whether he was ever in China earlier than that trip that have told me about ?
A Yes.
Q How old were you then?
A I was only a small boy but I cannot remember how old I was , my mother told me that he had been there.
Q Have you anything further to state?
A No .
Q Have you understood the interpreter?
A Yes (Thru Ins .Sawyer).
signed in Chinese
Reexamination of Alleged Father
Sworn and Admonished, Speaks See Yip Dialect
Intpr. Pon Fang., qualifies
(Statement taken in presence of Acting Inspector in Charge, Lorensen).
[transcription note .. in the original document the inspector incorrectly refers to Jew See as Jew Joe's aka Jew Soong's uncle, and Jew Mun Jew as his uncle as well, I have changed the transcribed interview to read "brother" and "nephew" so that the testimony makes more sense ]
Q What is your name?
A Jew Soong.
Q Do you remember testifying that your brother Jew See has no family so far as you know?
A When I was in China he was here.
Q Do you remember testifying yesterday that he had no family so far as you know?
A When I was home he wasn't married but he was over here.
(Acting Inspector in Charge, Lorenson is called from the room).
Q I want you to tell me frankly all that you about your brother, Jew See's marriage and his family?
A As far as I know my son sent me a letter telling me that uncle came back from Paris and got married.
Q Was that his first marriage or had he been married before that?
A The first marriage
Q You are sure he never had two wives?
A I don't know whether he has one or two but I know he has one.
(Acting Inspector in Charge Lorenson returns).
Q It is important that you should tell me all that you know about this brother's family affairs and if he has been married twice you should tell me about his first marriage and his children by either wife?
A We have been parted over ten years and as far as I know he has married only once, maybe he has married other places, I know know, and if he has any children I don't know.
Q Your alleged wife and your two alleged sons have given me full particulars regarding the family of your brother Jew See , and as this family live in your house in China it seems reasonable to expect you to be familiar with the family. Are you sure that you have been perfectly frank with me and have told me all you know about Jew See's family?
A I left China over ten years ago and as far as I know I only know thru letters from my wife and children, they state that uncle came back and got married and that is all I know of his family.
Q Is it possible that your brother, Jew See, had a son several years old in China at the time you were last at home in China?
A No.
Q When you testified yesterday you also stated that your nephewJew Mun Jew never had any children so far as you knew. Is that right?
A I stated that he had children.
Q Tell me all you know about his family.
A When I was home he had one son and after that I don't know whether he had any more .
Q Did he have any daughter at that time?
A No.
Q What was the son's name?
A Jew Chun Lam.
Q How old was he at that time?
A Two or three years old when I was home.
Q Yesterday you said that your nephew, Jew Mun Jew, never had any children so far as you knew. Today you recall one son ,don't you think that if you think carefully that you can remember some other children in his family?
A I stated yesterday that he has one son but any more or not I don't know.
Q Your alleged wife and your two sons have all testified to facts regarding Jew See's family and Jew Mun Jew's family, which you have not told me, and which you certainly would be in a position to know about. Are you sure that you have nothing further to say about this?
A Jew See has been living in the U.S. all the time, but my wife knows about his family. I only know from their letter telling me that he went back and got married.
Q As I said before, your family have given me information with which you should reasonably be familiar regarding the family of Jew See and Jew Mun Jew. Are you certain that you have nothing to add to your statement?
A No nothing to add.
Q Have you ever heard of Jew Tuey Sew?
A No.
Q Have you ever heard of Jew Sin Nam?
A No
Q Have you ever heard of Jew Ah Gum?
A No.
Q Have you anything further to state?
A No.
Q Have you understood the interpreter.
A Yes ( In English)
signed in Chinese characters.
Re-examination of alleged wife, sworn and admonished,
Speaks See Yip Dialect, Interpreter H.K. Tang , qualifies
(Statement taken in the presence of Acting Inspector in Charge, Lorensen)
Q What is your name?
A Leong Shee, or Leong Ah Ho.
Q You testified yesterday that Jew Mun Jew has one son and two daughters. Is that right ?
A Yes, two daughters and one son.
Q And you stated that your husband knew the two oldest. Is that right ?
A Yes , one son and one daughter.
Q What are the names of the two your husband knew?
A Jew Chun Lam and the daughter Jew Ah Gum.
Q How old were they when your husband was last in China?
A They were only small children. Ah Gum was about three and Chun Lam about two.
Q You testified yesterday that Jew See had one son , Jew Sin Nam , now 16 or 17 years old . Is that right?
A Yes.
Q How old was Jew Sin Nam when your husband was last in China?
A I don't know, my husband never knew this boy, the boy was brought from somewhere else.
Q Do you mean that he was not a natural son?
A I don't know, but his father, Ah See, said that Sin Nam was his own son that he brought home from a distant land.
Q Did you ever see Jew Sin Nam's mother?
A No.
Q Do you know if Jew Sin Nam's mother was in a distant land?
A Yes.
Q Do you know if she was ever in China?
A No , she lived in a foreign country.
Q Have you anything further to state?
A No
Q Have you understood the interpreter?
A Yes (thru Ins . Sawyer).
signed with an X by English name.
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