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Helen Wong Hom World War II Chinese American scrapbook and printed materials

 Collection
Identifier: MS 641
Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Content Description

This collection includes a scrapbook created by Helen Wong Hom during her time in San Antonio during World War II, associated with the FAB-100 officers and friends. 7"x10" bound scrapbook with attached photos and loose photos, plus 2 pamphlets related to the FAB-100.

Dates

  • 1944 - 1947

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research.

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish from this material must be facilitated through the Woodson Research Center, woodson@rice.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Helen Wong Hom was born in 1921 and immigrated to the United States with her mother and brother at the age of seven. Their point of entry was Angel Island, known as the "Ellis Island of the West," in the San Francisco, California area. It is not clear how long the family was detained at Angel Island, as their arrival was during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act, with immigration quotas severly limiting access to Chinese immigrants. Helen Wong Hom and her family reunited with her father, a merchant in the area, and later moved together to San Antonio, Texas. The family was there during World War II, when China and the U.S. were allies in the war effort. Helen Wong Hom appears to have been associated with the first group of the U.S. Foreign Affairs Bureau's group of 100 Chinese officers who later became known as the FAB-100. Many of these officers served as interpreters, translators, and trained others in aviation and radio mechanics. The family later moved to Houston, Texas, where Helen Wong Hom worked as a grocer and homemaker.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

This collection includes a scrapbook created by Helen Wong Hom during her time in San Antonio during World War II, associated with the FAB-100 officers and friends. Helen Wong Hom appears to have been associated with the first group of the U.S. Foreign Affairs Bureau's group of 100 Chinese officers who later became known as the FAB-100. Many of these officers served as interpreters, translators, and trained others in aviation and radio mechanics.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Teresa Hom Lau, of Houston, Texas, daughter of Helen Wong Hom, in 2015.

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Helen Wong Hom World War II Chinese American scrapbook and printed materials, 1944-1998 (bulk 1944-1947)
Status
Completed
Author
Amanda Focke
Date
2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892