Introduction to the Chinatown-Hawaii Shopping Mall
The Chinatown-Hawaii Shopping Mall, also referred to as "Chinatown Hawaii",
was started as a project by Lester D. K. Chow, sometime, prior to June 1996.
Purpose
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The purpose of the Chinatown-Hawaii Shopping Mall was to assist in the
preservation of the Chinese cultural heriatge and to showcase Hawaii's
Chinese community to the world. We hope to (1) represent everything that is
good and everything that is Chinese in the Chinatown District in Honolulu,
Hawaii, as well as in the entire State of Hawaii, and (2) showcase the
Chinese cultural heritage that Hawaii's Chinese people carry.
We hope to purchase a block in Chinatown and build a museum to house our
Chinese heritage. We hope to establish a school to teach our youths their
language and culture and to teach adults the meaning of being a member of
China's Imperial Household. We hope to purchase land to start an
international political and business college for scholars of Chinese descent
and to acculturate Chinese professionals into the Western world. We hope to
bring Chinese industry to America and Hawaii. It is our purpose to seek
better ties between China and America, rather than to alienate those in
China. We hope to teach American businessmen and government officials the
history of China and how to fit in and be a part of a great and future
growing nation and land. We hope to reshape the entire face of China, as we
come from the very bowels of China's ageless four-thousand year culture.
We expect to be the number one school in the entire world specializing in
China studies and
we are hope that we might be fortunate enough to receive the full support of
the community-at-large, government, and business sectors in America for this
endeavor.
Building friendships creates a better, non-hostile, world. Having an
understanding and respect of another person's culture and community builds
friendships and a better world.
Chinese Founders of Our Mall
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When our grandfathers came to Hawaii from China, many from the 1860s and
thereafter, many settled here and it was their intent that we one day return
to China. Hawaii became an outpost of China's nobility (a few select hundred
or so) secretly. Many clan cousins were brought here from China (distant
relations) and over 80% of Hawaii's arriving Chinese descend from this
background heritage.
The last dynasty to rule China was the Ch'ing Dynasty. The Ch'ing Dynasty is
a foreign dynasty, not a Han-Chinese dynasty. According to ancient,
traditional, Chinese custom and laws, only Han-Chinese are entitled to govern
China. So, the last Chinese dynasty, now, becomes the prior dynasty or the
Ming Dynasty.
When the old folks came to Hawaii, many temporarily resided on the big island
of Hawaii. At one point in Hawaii's history, 60% of the population of Hawaii
was comprised of Chinese. Today, the total population in the State of Hawaii
is 1,175,595 and 36,113 of that total is Chinese. Many Chinese intermarried
casting aside their Chinese heritage as if it were nothing of any importance.
It is our wish, therefore, not only to preserve history, but our ethnic
identity for future generations.
Chinatown was an outpost or gathering place for Chinese in general. Many of
them from this heritage and much of the Chinese culture that came was
preserved in the existence of businesses, ethnic celebrations, foods, ethnic
organizations (Chinese societies), and activities of these people. Such is
unique to their families and not found anywhere else, in the world, outside
of China. The Chinatown in Hawaii (a Hawaiian territory and land) was unique
indeed and the fell under the secret domain or province of families, who
carried the Imperial culture, those who came here to live.
The original founders of Hawaii's Chinatown in Honolulu, Hawaii, Chinese
people behind the scenes, was the Imperial family itself and those who
carried the history and heritage of the whole of China and its Imperial
family.
The story of the history of Chinatown, therefore, we best felt, should be
represented and told by us here at the Chinatown-Hawaii Shopping Mall.
Hawaii's Chinese Community
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The over 80% of Hawaii's Chinese come from the Chungshan district in China.
The term "Chungshan" is an ancient pre-history Chinese term, which means the
descendants of Shem. China and Chinese today are a primitive people who tend
to reject the true teachings of God. Their hearts have been hardened to the
truth, yet the message of money and potential prosperity gains their interest
and following.
People of God do good in their lives and hold to high standards, because
that's how they have been taught to act and live. People of this world, on
the other hand, have no values other than their own survival and prosperity.
Not many people will go out of their way to help humanity and others.
In today's modern world, we wonder if people are inherently good or evil. Is
a person's ethnicity a guarantor of a person's propensity to be good? Does
ethnicity play a play a part in the disposition of groups and what exactly is
ethnicity? Are Chinese any better then Japanese? How do we understand world
cultures and what values do or should we hold as an ethnic community? Do
ancestral beginnings determine who and what we are? Is change possible or
desired?
The Chinese community in Hawaii are one as family as most (over 80%) carry
the same family surname (making up one people). The surname of the Chou
Dynasty is commonly found in Hawaii:
Chow (Chou, Zhou), Lum (Lin), Chang (Cheng), Goo (Ku), Wu (Wo, Woo), Ing
(Ng), Ching (Cheng), Ho, Chiang, Mau (Mao), Choy (Tsai), Sun, Yap (Yip, Ye,
Yeh), Wong (Wang), Lai, Kee (Ke), Kwock (Kwok, Kok, Kuo, Guo, Kop), Lau
(Liu), Loui (Lui), Dang (Teng, Tang, Deng, Dung), Siu (Hsiu, Hsiao) and Young
(Yang, Yong). Also: Chock (Cheuk, Cho) and Tom (Tan, Tam). Chun and related
Ming Dynasty surnames. Aisin-Gioro holding surnames from the Chou Dynasty.
Brief History of the Chinese Migration to Hawaii
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When many of Hawaii's local Chinese came to Hawaii from mainland China (1840s
to 1910s) some of them were asked, if they were of Chinese nobility or asked
if they came from any special family of rank and privilege. The standard
answer that most of them gave was that they were just farmers or merchants
back in mainland China and nothing special. Some admitted to being peasants,
while others said nothing at all.
Many years have past since that time (1840s-1930s) and the Chinese community
in Hawaii, three to six generations later, are moderately successful. These
are people, immigrants to America, who have achieved a moderate to large
measure of success, due to the belief systems that they carried (Chinese
customs and culture) and due to America being a good land giving people the
opportunity to have many inalienable rights, to have a business and to be
able to save and accumulate cash.
It is this group of original immigrants and their descendants (1840s-2003)
that my mall hopes to showcase and mention.
Chinese are known to be very hard working people, working long hours for
little pay. These, many of them, are people who carry a Confucian work
ethic, who are basically honest, upright, and considerate of others.
In many of the better families, Chinese are taught traditional Chinese values
and principles from an early age. Over 80% of Hawaii's local Chinese
community come from the Chungshan district in mainland China, which is the
heart and secret seat of the Ming and Chou Dynasty's southern capitol. The
term Chungshan meant "center son" or "second son of three sons" or "center
mountain (of people)". It is a territory created on behalf of the Chou clan
shared with the Chun clan of the Ming Dynasty and, secretly, shared with
members of the Aisin-Gioro Imperial Ch'ing Dynasty descendancy; all joined as
one family praying together at a common ancestral grave, tong, or family
ancestral worship hall.
When many of these people came here to Hawaii, they sought to keep and
maintain their cultural heritage, to promote it, to develop it, and to keep
family-ties together. While others were not told of their roots and Imperial
heritage.
Because many of these people came from an Imperial Han-Chinese background
much of what they did in the preservation of their family's imperial heritage
had to be kept secret. One couldn't well broadcast the fact that one was an
Imperial Chinese prince or claimant for fear of reprisals and death from the
government of the Ch'ing Dynasty and the same from people loyal to the
Manchurian Ch'ing Dynasty government.
If a Chinese man came from a family of distinction, from a princely lineage,
for example, he was taught, by my family's customs in America, to maintain
his standing, prestige, and honor by the maintenance of a family business and
becoming the head of it. What was subsequently sought and coveted by such
men, here in Hawaii, was to be the manager (president or chief person) of a
business or to become president of the United Chinese Society in Hawaii.
Since dynasties were a thing of the past and we, all of us, were living in a
democracy this was one of the ways a man could distinguish himself and his
standing before others.
This was the way such men were advised to preserve their standing, in the
community in lieu of an Imperial Court, in Chinatown. Such received the
tacit approval of the local Chinese community, by those in the know, and
such men were held up as pillars of Hawaii's Chinese community.
South China is the seat of the Ming Dynasty and migrating Chou Dynasty. It
is, also, the secret home of the reconvening Ch'ing Dynasty Court with its
secret seat in Ma Bin Pou. Pictures of the Manchurian Ch'ing Dynasty Court
at Ma Bin Pou, a mythical city 30 miles outside of Canton, done in honor of
the great Ch'ing Dynasty Emperor Tao Kuang and his chosen heir-apparent,
prior to the time of Henry P'u Yee Aisin-Gioro, appears in lobby the old Wo
Fat Restaurant, as its center piece, without captions. A history, therefore,
known only to select Chinese in the know. Members of the Imperial Manchurian
Ch'ing Dynasty were brought to Hawaii to settle and become greatly honored
members of Hawaii's Chinese community.
It is all of these people, above mentioned, and many others that came to
Hawaii, whose culture is represented here as the dominant force behind
Hawaii's Chinese community.
The main focus in Hawaii, apart from cultural things, within the last 100
years, more or less, was the establishment of a family business and gaining
of a leadership positions in Hawaii's local Chinese community.
It is with the above history in mind that this mall was started and which it
hopes to represent. Many of grandfathers, uncles, and extended kin were
among such people, who were movers and shakers of the Chinese community in
Hawaii in the old days.
It is with much pride and pleasure that we dedicate this mall and history.
Chinese-Americans
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Chinese-Americans have done a lot to build Hawaii and this country, the
United States of America. Many of them are from China's Imperial family.
Some gained high positions in government and were allowed to do so, because
it was felt that this would be good preparation for their return home (that
democracy or better standards would prevail in these foreign countries, if
such people were allowed to gain an education and working experience here in
America). Chinese and all Asians have set a good record as responsible
and, sometimes, model citizens in this country and we are very proud of our
collective record of achievement and success. It is our hope for that record
to continue and for great success for this country and land. We hope that
the Honorable U.S. President George W. Bush will be in agreement with us and
will be looking forward to our success in mainland China. We will, in the
future, be writing to many people (some named below) with the hope of
receiving their blessing and love.
While there are many Asians in America, not all know the above background
and the reason for our collective success as Asians in America. This is one
of the reasons why we have decided to go ahead and publish our history, so
that all will know and understand.
People collectively working together for a common good (helping others and
other Americans), with knowledge, creates a better world, than people in
hiding in darkness being less productive, hated, and despised.
Not-for-Profit Status
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From 1996 to 2003, the Chinatown-Hawaii Shopping Mall site has been run as a
not-for-profit venture. The founder decided to use this site as a vehicle to
help the community. It is next to impossible to give everything you have to
others without getting anything back in return. We have spent a lot of money
on this site, over the years, hosting it, paying telephone bills, and using
our food money to help the community-at-large. We can no longer do this and
we would like to recover our past cost. Therefore, by January 2004, we will
be a for-profit site. We hope that this site will pay for itself, give us
some money to recover our past expenses, and serve the needs of Hawaii's
Chinese community.
The First Chinatown in America
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Hawaii's Chinatown is the first Chinatown in the United States of America.
Community Support Hoped For
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We need the community's support and assistance, if this project and history
preservation is to continue. We can not operate on love and ask our
creditors to accept love in lieu of money. We hope that all Chinese
merchants and white-collar professionals will support our mall and efforts.
We hope to sell advertising, create, and host websites. We hope to be one of
the few advertising agencies that caters directly to the Chinese community
and merchants. We need your support and love for this great history and
cultural project, (a) the preservation of China's Imperial succession and
legacy and (b) the return of China's Imperial family to mainland China (with
a renaissance of the Chinese culture here in Hawaii and a renaissance in
mainland China), or it will all end.
We hope to publish the many untold stories of people who have built or
contributed to the building of the Hawaii Chinese community. Many died poor
and their grandchildren know little or nothing of their grandfather's
contributions and deeds. Such information should be preserved for
generations of a family's honor. We hope to assist in research and
publication with our money, for the sake of the heritage and Chinese
community. We are here for people! We are here for the families of, both,
the rich and poor. Unselfish giving is the way many of us were brought up
and taught by our parents. Being upright and following the laws, being
obedient to authority and parents, and giving to others by true deed and
spirit is the way that many local Chinese were taught and brought up to be.
We believe in justice, being upright, and following the law. We help the
rich and give to the poor. So, too, it should be for all Chinese!
Letters
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Our letters to the Honorable President George W. Bush, Governor Linda Lingle,
Mayor Jeremy Harris, Hawaii's clergy, and others inviting them to write a short
letter that will be displayed in the Foreward to our Mall.
Copyright (c) 1996-2003 Lester D. K. Chow
Lester D. K. Chow and Associates
P.O. Box 4604
Honolulu, Hawaii 96812
(808) 538-1855
Date: July 14, 2003
Our complete site may be entered through our frames doorway
at http://chinatownhawaii.com