Mr. Chinatown is the engaging story of San Francisco Chinatown entrepreneur and community leader H.K. Wong. A second-generation Chinese American, he became such a popular and influential personality in San Francisco's Chinatown from the 1930s to the 1980s that he was nicknamed "Mr. Chinatown" and "Mayor of Grant Avenue" by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and residents of Chinatown. H.K. was posthumously selected as one of the 101 most memorable San Franciscans over the past 100 years as part of the San Francisco Examiner centennial celebration in 1987. A native San Franciscan, in 1978, he received the Jefferson Award from the American Institute for Public Service.
This book is a fascinating historical account of early California and San Francisco Chinatown, and its politics, business, arts, sports, and culture. It is the story of how one delightful, influential man changed the face of Chinatown forever. Recent Asian hate crimes as well as decades of Anti-Asian sentiment emphasize the need to shed light on the significant vision, leadership, and contributions made by Asians nationwide. It could be said that H.K. Wong laid the very foundation for today's Chinatown.
A businessman, entrepreneur, restaurateur, sportsman, journalist, author, promoter, historian, technical director, watercolor artist, and family man, he left an indelible mark on San Francisco and his beloved Chinatown. From acting as a one-man press bureau for the entire Chinese community, establishing the Chinese New Year Festival and Parade, co-owning two successful hardware businesses, co-founding the landmark Empress of China Restaurant, and working as a technical advisor for the movie Flower Drum Song, he worked tirelessly to promote San Francisco's Chinatown and its cultural traditions.
H.K. also managed numerous sports teams and regional sports events. He was a founder of the San Francisco Chinese Tennis Club, and a Director for the Northern California Region of the Sports Car Club of America. He was the first Chinese American to serve on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Tennis Association and was posthumously inducted into their Hall of Fame. He was also a co-founder of the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) and collected late 19th century artifacts from abandoned Chinatowns and gold mining sites and old Chinese temples. These served as the foundation of the CHSA Museum collection.
Additionally, H.K. spearheaded bridges of understanding between Chinatown and mainland China. As Coordination Chairman of the Chinese American Committee, in June 1975, he facilitated bringing the first major international exhibition to travel outside of China since the end of World War II to the U.S.: The Exhibition of Archaeological Finds of the People's Republic of China. Two years later, he was instrumental in bringing the People's Republic of China's 2,000-year-old Han Tang Murals to San Francisco. In 1980, he also served on the committee that brought Treasures from the Shanghai Museum: 6,000 Years of Chinese Art to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. It was the first exhibition ever organized with an established museum in China and grew out of the San Francisco sister-city relationship with Shanghai, which had started on Jan. 28, 1980, by Senator Dianne Feinstein, one year after China and the United States established formal diplomatic relations.
The importance of this book to San Francisco Chinatown and California history are significant. As United States Senator Dianne Feinstein said in the Foreword, "H.K. Wong's contributions to Chinatown, to San Francisco, and to the State of California will be remembered for years to come."
