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FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE:WASPINGTON
NAME OF WORKER: STAFFORD LEWIS
ADDRESS: 4612 Brandon Street
DAIS: December 21, 1938.
SUBJECT: CHINESE AND JAPANESE FOLK STUFF
1. Mrs. Ruth Chinn, informant: 200 -17th Avenue, Seattle, Washington.
2. Interview held at 2:00 P.M. Dec. 21, 1938
3. At the Chinese Recreational Center, 671 Weller Street
4. WPA Information Bureau, furnished name and address of Mrs. Chinn, making
interview at the Chinese Recreation Center possible.
5. I went alone.
6. The Recreation Center is a vacant store building, now furnished with two
ping pong tables and a broad wooden table, used as a desk by the Recreation
attendants. This Center is located in the heart of Seattle's Chinatown.
FORM B
Personal History of informant.
STATE: WASHINGTON
NAME OF CORKER: STAFFORD LEWIS
,ADDRMS: 4612 Brandon Street
SUBJECT: Chinese Folk Tales.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF INFORMANT: Mrs. Ruth Chinn, 200 -17th Ave. So. Seattle, Wash.
1. Ancestry; Chinese.
2. She was born in Seattle. (Much of this information requested is not available,
as Chinese are suspicious and fear a misuse of this personal information.)
S. Her education was completed in Ling Nan University, Canton, China. (No dates)
9. Mrs. Chinn is small, slim, young, and pretty, in spite of the Chinese
characteristic wide and flattened nose.
10. No other points gained* Der modesty and fear of not telling a story well,
made getting any story at all almost impossible.
Consultant: Mrs. Ruth Chinn. Advisor at the Chinese Recreational Center.
I-
It was summer in Canton, China and very hot. So the Americilr orn
Chinese boys from Seattle changed to white linen suits and tropical clothing
Such as is worn in India and other hot countrietl)They had been sent to Ling_
Nan -University to complete their education in the Chinese language and history.
These boys were from wealthy or well to do families, their ages ranging from
14 to years. Chinese boys from all over the world go to this Wgiversity.
Professor Wong especially, didn't like the Seattle boys because they
were mischievous and played practical .jokes. Besides their manners were bad,
they were frank and outspoken, they ate to much and spent money they should
have saved, for extra meals and p4..cture shows.
The true Chinese boys Professor Wong held up as an example were quiet and
mild. They sat down thankfully to their meals in the mess hall that was poorly
made up of loose boards and bamboo thatching, And were willing to leave the
table halfofilled and hungry, without protest. The Seattle boys thought the
food was stale and scantily portioned out. So after eating in the mess hall
they would use their money to take a launch across the water to Canton. They
would go to a hotel and get a good meal, of fresh and plentiful food.
Wing was the leader of a little group of three Seattle boys, and Wing
liked to correct Professor Wong whenever his American -gained knowledge gave
him a chance.) Making Professor Wong very angry and leading him to use his
position of,PCofessor in dnarge of Wines dormitory to teach Wing and the
other Seattle boys good manners and the value of money through strict
discipline.
So ling was no longer allowed to play his guitar with American harmony
and sing American songs after 10 o'clock at night, when all lights had tort and
silence was compulsory. Professor Wing thought Chinese music that cannot be
harmonized, much more seemly than the discordant noises Wing and his companions
2
Consultant: Mrs. Ruth Chinn. Advisor at the Chinese Recreational Center.
took such delight in. Then, to correct the boys of extravagance, he forced
the Seattle boys to put all their money in the treasury-- and whenever they
asked for their awn money, they would only receive a dollar.
This wasn't enough, it cost 2ottross the water to Canton in a launch,
\-Cliderai
20 Tr a show and at least 60 for a meal. After 6 in the evening, the boys
would have to hire a sampan to get back to the niversity and this cost much more
than the motor launch, 60 or 80 cents.
The boys said, we pay for our education and should be able to lead our awn
lives, as we do in America. We must all work together to force Professor Wong
to break away from his severe rules.
Then the Seattle boys would slip out of the dormitory and play their
guitars and sing American songs under the/4ofessor's window as he was trying
to sleep. 9ut this only made Wong more stricto)he gave Ming and his friends
much extra work on studies the boys thought were very dry,' ng them down
even more.
In desperation, while the Professor was out of the dormitory, the boys took
all his white linen out of the closet and spilled ink all over M. Then they
put the suits back with a note saying.
"Try and find out who did this."
Professor Wong went to bed without noticing his clothing-- but the next
morning none of his clothing was fit to wear.
Of course, Wong knew who had spoiled his clothing as the resentment of
the .eattle boys against his rules was not hidden from him. And only the
American chinese boys would have the courage necessary to attempt such a
destructive trick.
Professor Wong called Wing and his two best friends in his office and gave
them the choice of either buying a complete new outfit of clothing for him or
being expelled. The boys decided to be expelled as they were all anxious to
return to Seattle where there was good food and they could lead their own lives.