Y. C. Hong
Y. C. Hong was a pioneering Chinese American attorney and civil rights activist, recognized as the first Chinese American to practice law in California. Born in San Francisco between 1896 and 1898 to immigrant parents, Hong overcame significant challenges, including a spinal cord injury, to achieve academic success. He graduated from Lowell High School and later attended the University of Southern California (USC) School of Law, where he became the first Chinese American to pass the California State Bar in 1923.
Hong established a law practice in Los Angeles, becoming a crucial legal resource for the Chinese immigrant community, and played a significant role in the development of New Chinatown after the demolition of Old Chinatown. He was an active advocate for immigration reform, notably testifying before Congress to support the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and securing non-quota status for foreign-born Chinese spouses.
Throughout his career, Hong served in various leadership roles within the Chinese American community and contributed to numerous organizations. He also encouraged political engagement among Chinese Americans and was influential in the campaigns of notable political figures. His legacy continues to be honored, particularly through the Y. C. Hong Award established by the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association. Hong passed away on November 8, 1977, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of many in the community.
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Subject Terms
Y. C. Hong
Attorney and activist
- Born: Date unknown
- Place of Birth: San Francisco, California
- Died: November 8, 1977
- Place of Death: Los Angeles, California
Y. C. Hong was the first Chinese American attorney in the state of California. A civil rights activist, he fought successfully for immigration reform and the repeal of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
Areas of achievement: Law, activism
Early Life
You Chung Hong was born in San Francisco, California. Although his exact birth date is unknown, it is believed he was born sometime between 1896 and 1898. His parents, Yuit Yuen Hong and Lee Shee Hong, were both immigrants from China. His father, a laborer, passed away after Hong’s fifth birthday. Hong’s mother worked two jobs to raise her son and her daughter, Helen. As an infant, Hong suffered a spinal cord injury that inhibited his physical growth.
In 1915, Hong graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco. After graduation, he taught English to Chinese immigrants. In 1918, he began working as an interpreter for the Immigration Service, where a colleague encouraged him to consider law school. Soon Hong was enrolled in the University of Southern California (USC) School of Law. Unable to afford textbooks, he borrowed books from his classmates and memorized lectures verbatim. In 1923, he became the first Chinese American to pass the California State Bar, which he accomplished before graduation from law school. In 1925, Hong became the first Chinese American to graduate from the USC School of Law.
Life’s Work
Because he was the first Chinese American licensed to practice law in California, Hong became a go-to resource for immigrants seeking legal advice. In 1925, he established his law practice on Gladys Avenue and then at 741½ Alameda Street in Old Chinatown, Los Angeles. When Old Chinatown was demolished to build Union Station, Hong was a major force in the development of New Chinatown, becoming a founding property owner in New Chinatown’s Central Plaza. There, he built three buildings and the Gate of Maternal Virtue (East Gate), which was dedicated to his mother. Central Plaza represented the first Chinatown in the United States to be solely owned by Chinese Americans. Hong’s law office at 445 Gin Ling Way in Central Plaza was a focal point for the Chinese American community and later became a historic landmark.
Hong was a pioneering attorney and activist, who lobbied Congress for the repeal of discriminatory immigration laws on behalf of the Native Sons of the Golden State/Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA). On February 6, 1928, he appeared at the Senate Subcommittee of the Committee on Immigration to appeal for the admission of foreign-born Chinese wives and children as non-quota citizens. He also spoke at the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization on the same issue. Hong’s testimony in Congress influenced the repeal of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943 and the attainment of non-quota status for foreign-born Chinese wives of American citizens in 1946.
In 1931, Hong married Mabel Chin Qong, a native of Portland, Oregon, who was active in Los Angeles Chinatown. The couple had two sons, Nowland Chin Hong and Roger Sai-keung Hong.
In 1933, Hong became the first Chinese American to present a case to the United States Supreme Court. By his retirement, he had represented more than six thousand cases. Unwelcome in law associations because of his ethnicity, Hong became a charter member of the Immigration and Nationality Lawyers Association, Los Angeles Lawyers Club, and USC Legion Lex.
Throughout his career, Hong was highly active in the Chinese American community. He served multiple terms as president of the CACA Los Angeles Lodge and grand president of the Grand Lodge. He was adviser to the Chinese Benevolent Association (1937–57), the Cathay Bank, and the Selective Service Advisory Board. A prolific writer, Hong was first chairman of the board for the Chinese Times newspaper. In 1944, Hong also chaired the New Chinatown War Finance Committee, which raised support for China during World War II.
Hong’s career accomplishments and activism inspired many people, including Ronald S. W. Lew, who went on to become a US district judge. He also encouraged Chinese Americans to become involved in politics. He supported the gubernatorial campaign of Ronald Reagan and the US Senate campaigns of William F. Knowland and Hiram Fong, who became the first Chinese American elected to the Senate. Hong elevated the profile of Los Angeles Chinatown on campaign trails by cosponsoring events for political candidates in Central Plaza.
Hong died of acute myocardial infarction on November 8, 1977, in New Chinatown.
Significance
Hong overcame poverty to become the first Chinese American attorney in California. An immigration specialist and civil rights activist, he fought for equal rights throughout his career. Hong’s career achievements and legacy greatly influenced the lives of Chinese Americans in Southern California and beyond. The Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association created the Y. C. Hong Award to honor him.
Bibliography
“Chinese American Hero: You Chung Hong.” AsianWeek. AsianWeek, 24 Apr. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. A short biography of Y. C. Hong.
Gardner, Martha Mabie. The Qualities of a Citizen: Women, Immigration, and Citizenship, 1870–1965. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2005. Print. Discusses Hong’s testimony in the House of Representatives in 1928.
Ha, Vi. "Y.C. Hong--A Biography." Los Angeles Public Library Blog, 1 Feb. 2022, lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/yc-hong-biography. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Hong, You Chung, Mabel Hong, Nowland C. Hong, and Roger S. Hong. Hong Family Papers, 1764–2006. Print. Contains over three hundred boxes of letters, documents, photographs, memorabilia related to the Hong family.
Pierson, David. “Chinatown Time Capsule.” Los Angeles Times 18 May 2005: B1. Print. Discusses Hong’s legacy and the donation of his artifacts at the Huntington Library.
Woon, Henry. “Live Wires South of San Francisco.” Chinese World 73.261 (1964): n. pag. Print. An article about the author’s encounter with Hong in 1964.
"You Chung Hong '24 '25." University of Southern California Law Library, 14 Mar. 2023, lawlibguides.usc.edu/c.php?g=1161949&p=8485297. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.