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Remembering Him Mark Lai A Short Interview with Judy Yung Interviewed by Leonard D. Chan The impact a person has on the world can often be best described by those he has affected. Distinguished historian Him Mark Lai left behind a large body of work and countless well and lesser known people that he helped and worked with. This Saturday, June 21, 2014, 2pm, at the San Mateo Main Library, historian, author and retired professor Judy Yung and noted author Ruthanne Lum McCunn join Laura Lai in remembering her late husband Him Mark Lai. Judy Yung, Ruthanne McCunn, and Russell Leong co-edited Him Mark Lai's autobiography after his death. Here is a short interview we did with Judy Yung. Tell us of your first meeting and interactions with Him Mark Lai? How were you introduced to him? Were you working on a book or research project?I first met Him Mark Lai at the Chinatown Branch Library, where I was the head librarian in the early 1970s. He would come to collect our old Chinese newspapers and clip them for articles about Chinese Americans. Those news clippings have been deposited at the Ethnic Studies Library at UC Berkeley along with the rest of Him Mark's research collection. He was already a budding Chinese American archivist and community historian then. Sometimes, if it weren't too busy at the library, we would get into long discussions about Chinese American history and contemporary issues. He was the one who first told me about the discovery of Chinese poems on the walls of the Angel Island immigration barracks, which led to our researching and writing my first book, Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, with Genny Lim. In doing the editing on Him Mark Lai's autobiography, what were some of the most interesting things you learned about him that you didn't know before? I found his family history, childhood, and young adult years fascinating because it presented a personal side of Him Mark that I never knew before and it helped me understand why and how he devoted his life to reclaiming Chinese American history. Read the first two chapters of the book and see for yourself. How has he personally influenced you in your work? I consider Him Mark my teacher and mentor. He motivated me to pursue Chinese American immigration and women's history. By example, he showed me how important it was to be bilingual and bi-literate in my work, and to be generous in sharing my research and writings with others. Him Mark was always there for me, supporting and assisting me with research and editorial advice on every one of my book projects. What do you think is his lasting legacy? Him Mark pioneered the field of Chinese American history. His lasting legacy is his archival collection at UC Berkeley, his many publications, and his leadership in promoting Chinese American history as an integral part of American history. What have we lost with his parting? Are there people that are continuing his work and carrying the torch? I don't know how many times I have said, "I wish Him Mark was still around to answer this question." I miss him as a resource, as a mentor, and as a colleague. Thanks to Him Mark, there are many more scholars today who are continuing his work and carrying the torch, but no one that I know of who has the same passion, same skills, and same political outlook that made Him Mark our "Dean of Chinese American history." Do come to our audiovisual presentation on Him Mark Lai on Saturday, June 21, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. at the San Mateo Public Library and/or get a copy of his autobiography to read about his remarkable life. About | Contact | New | Specials | Browsing | Ordering | Conference | Links | Help Copyright © 2014 by AACP, Inc. Most recent revision June 19, 2014 |