Ng Poon Chew
Encyclopedia
Ng Poon Chew was an author, publisher, and advocate for Chinese American
civil rights
. He published the first Chinese language daily newspaper to be printed outside of China
.
Born in the Guangdong
province of Southern China, Ng moved to California
in 1881, where he first worked as a domestic servant on a ranch. He became a student of U.S. culture, studying English, adopting Western dress, and converting to Christianity. He joined the seminary and in 1892 became the first Chinese Presbyterian Minister on the American West Coast. He was assigned to a ministry in Los Angeles
, but after a fire destroyed his mission, he decided to focus his efforts on establishing a Chinese language newspaper instead. After a year of publishing his L.A.-based weekly, Hua Mei Sun Bo, Ng moved to San Francisco where he started the first Chinese language daily outside of China: Chung Sai Yat Pao. His newspaper generally promoted an assimilationist viewpoint, encouraging Chinese American readers to adapt to North American values.
Ng traveled the country speaking out against anti-Chinese legislation, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. He also
published books and pamphlets opposing discrimination against Chinese Americans.
He was called "an Oriental Mark Twain".
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
. He published the first Chinese language daily newspaper to be printed outside of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Born in the Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
province of Southern China, Ng moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1881, where he first worked as a domestic servant on a ranch. He became a student of U.S. culture, studying English, adopting Western dress, and converting to Christianity. He joined the seminary and in 1892 became the first Chinese Presbyterian Minister on the American West Coast. He was assigned to a ministry in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, but after a fire destroyed his mission, he decided to focus his efforts on establishing a Chinese language newspaper instead. After a year of publishing his L.A.-based weekly, Hua Mei Sun Bo, Ng moved to San Francisco where he started the first Chinese language daily outside of China: Chung Sai Yat Pao. His newspaper generally promoted an assimilationist viewpoint, encouraging Chinese American readers to adapt to North American values.
Ng traveled the country speaking out against anti-Chinese legislation, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. He also
published books and pamphlets opposing discrimination against Chinese Americans.
He was called "an Oriental Mark Twain".
See also
- John P. IrishJohn P. IrishJohn Powell Irish, known as John P. Irish, was a leader of the Democratic Party in Iowa, a landowner in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region of California, a fiery and influential public speaker, and an opponent of prejudice against Japanese, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, women's suffrage ...
, supported Chinese immigration. Ng Poon Chew was an honorary pallbearer at his funeral. - See different pages for more info.