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We Built New York

We Built New York: Betty Fung

May 2, 2018

Betty Fung "I was born in 1939 in Enping, Guangdong, China. During the Sino Japanese war, my family moved west to Guangxi, and my little brother was born there. When the war ended, the family moved back home to Guangdong.…

We Built New York: Alice Ip

May 2, 2018

Alice Ip (as told to Ruth Sergel) “Everybody came here with a dream” Alice grew up in Hong Kong with six brothers and sisters. Her father had one of the first cars in Hong Kong. He repaired cars and gave…

We Built New York: Teresa Chan

May 2, 2018

Teresa Chan Born in China and educated in Hong Kong, Teresa Chan immigrated to America in 1968. Her first job in NYC was as an accountant at Beekman Hospital, where she interpreted medical and billing matters for Chinese patients. Eight…

We Built New York: Marian Thom

May 2, 2018

Marian Thom Marian Thom is an early Chinatown union activist, and a bilingual paraprofessional (para) who worked on reading and other programs in NYC public schools in Chinatown for 36 years.  She has motivated and defended students and fellow employees…

We Built New York: Honoring Chinese Workers

May 2, 2018

Between the 1970s and the 1980s, a wave of Chinese workers immigrated to the United States, in hopes of building a better life for themselves and their children. The hardships they faced were challenging and unexpected. Using photographs and first…