Ben Fee (张恨棠/木云) (September 3, 1908 – July 3, 1978)[1] was an American writer and labor organizer who rose to prominence in the Chinatowns of San Francisco and New York in the mid-twentieth century. He was president of the Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association and leader of the Chinese section of the United States Communist Party.[2]
Fee was born in Canton, China.[1] Fee's mother was "known as a 'bomb thrower' . . . and [his] father . . . a 'draft-dodger'"; he grew up reading Marx and Lenin, and from his early years was aware of racism against California's Chinese population and felt that organized labor could be a solution.[3]
In 1924, when the San Francisco restaurant Almond Blossom refused to serve Fee because he was Asian and other customers might object, he returned the next day with ten white friends who each ordered porterhouse steak, the most expensive item on the menu. Then Fee came in and was refused service on the same grounds given the day before. Fee then confronted the "customers" who, upon learning of the restaurant's policy, walked out of the restaurant, leaving the steaks cooking, unpaid for.[4]
Labor organizeredit
The son of a Chinese-American interpreter[5] Fee moved to the United States at the age of 13. In 1934 he was employed by the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union to organize Chinese garment workers in San Francisco. However his subsequent membership of and advocacy for the Communist Party alienated the Chinatown establishment and the union, which terminated his employment in 1938.[5]
Following marital problems and a difficult divorce, Fee relocated to New York and resumed his advocacy for organized labor. In the 1940s he was active in the Chinese Students Association, the Alaska Cannery Workers Union and the Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association.[5]
Literary workedit
Fee rapidly became a prominent part of the New York Chinatown of the 1940s, and a writer of short works depicting the Chinese American experience of the post-World War II era. His mix of old-style cultural mores was popularized by author and vaudeville producer Frank Chin who caricatured Fee as a mix of the American "Wild West" and traditional Chinese thinking. Chin described Fee as:
... a bareknuckled, unmasked man, a Chinaman loner out of the old West, a character out of Chinese sword-slingers, a fighter.
— Frank Chin, Confessions of a Chinatown Cowboy[6]
Referencesedit
^ ab"Deaths (Published 1978)". The New York Times. July 9, 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
^Ho, Fred Wei-han; Antonio, Carolyn (2000). Legacy to liberation: Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America. AK Press. p. 385. ISBN1-902593-24-3. from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
^Chun, Gloria Heyung (2000). Of orphans and warriors: inventing Chinese American culture and identity. Rutgers University Press. pp. 25–26, 29. ISBN0-8135-2709-0. from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
^Wong, Don. "Ben's Way." Chinese Americans Past & Present by Don Wong and Irene Dea Collier, 1977.
^ abcYung, Judy (1995). Unbound Feet: A Social History of Chinese Women in San Francisco. University of California Press. pp. 213. ISBN0-520-08867-0. ben fee.
^Lim, Shirley; Ling, Amy (1992). Reading the Literatures of Asian America. AK Press. p. 58. ISBN0-87722-936-8. from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
Further readingedit
"Ben Fee: The Fox and the Tiger" by Frank Chin, in Bulletproof Buddhists and Other Essays, 1998.
"Ben's Way" by Don Wong in Chinese Americans Past & Present by Don Wong and Irene Dea Collier, 1977. [ISBN missing]
"On 'Mountain of Gold,' Seamstresses Find Pay Is Low," The New York Times, August 5, 1972
April 10, 2024
张恨棠, 木云, september, 1908, july, 1978, american, writer, labor, organizer, rose, prominence, chinatowns, francisco, york, twentieth, century, president, chinese, workers, mutual, association, leader, chinese, section, united, states, communist, party, contents,. Ben Fee 张恨棠 木云 September 3 1908 July 3 1978 1 was an American writer and labor organizer who rose to prominence in the Chinatowns of San Francisco and New York in the mid twentieth century He was president of the Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association and leader of the Chinese section of the United States Communist Party 2 Contents 1 Early years 2 Labor organizer 3 Literary work 4 References 5 Further readingEarly years editFee was born in Canton China 1 Fee s mother was known as a bomb thrower and his father a draft dodger he grew up reading Marx and Lenin and from his early years was aware of racism against California s Chinese population and felt that organized labor could be a solution 3 In 1924 when the San Francisco restaurant Almond Blossom refused to serve Fee because he was Asian and other customers might object he returned the next day with ten white friends who each ordered porterhouse steak the most expensive item on the menu Then Fee came in and was refused service on the same grounds given the day before Fee then confronted the customers who upon learning of the restaurant s policy walked out of the restaurant leaving the steaks cooking unpaid for 4 Labor organizer editThe son of a Chinese American interpreter 5 Fee moved to the United States at the age of 13 In 1934 he was employed by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union to organize Chinese garment workers in San Francisco However his subsequent membership of and advocacy for the Communist Party alienated the Chinatown establishment and the union which terminated his employment in 1938 5 Following marital problems and a difficult divorce Fee relocated to New York and resumed his advocacy for organized labor In the 1940s he was active in the Chinese Students Association the Alaska Cannery Workers Union and the Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association 5 Literary work editFee rapidly became a prominent part of the New York Chinatown of the 1940s and a writer of short works depicting the Chinese American experience of the post World War II era His mix of old style cultural mores was popularized by author and vaudeville producer Frank Chin who caricatured Fee as a mix of the American Wild West and traditional Chinese thinking Chin described Fee as a bareknuckled unmasked man a Chinaman loner out of the old West a character out of Chinese sword slingers a fighter Frank Chin Confessions of a Chinatown Cowboy 6 References edit a b Deaths Published 1978 The New York Times July 9 1978 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on October 6 2020 Retrieved October 6 2020 Ho Fred Wei han Antonio Carolyn 2000 Legacy to liberation Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America AK Press p 385 ISBN 1 902593 24 3 Archived from the original on April 14 2020 Retrieved October 6 2020 Chun Gloria Heyung 2000 Of orphans and warriors inventing Chinese American culture and identity Rutgers University Press pp 25 26 29 ISBN 0 8135 2709 0 Archived from the original on December 15 2019 Retrieved October 6 2020 Wong Don Ben s Way Chinese Americans Past amp Present by Don Wong and Irene Dea Collier 1977 a b c Yung Judy 1995 Unbound Feet A Social History of Chinese Women in San Francisco University of California Press pp 213 ISBN 0 520 08867 0 ben fee Lim Shirley Ling Amy 1992 Reading the Literatures of Asian America AK Press p 58 ISBN 0 87722 936 8 Archived from the original on December 23 2016 Retrieved October 6 2020 Further reading edit Ben Fee The Fox and the Tiger by Frank Chin in Bulletproof Buddhists and Other Essays 1998 Ben s Way by Don Wong in Chinese Americans Past amp Present by Don Wong and Irene Dea Collier 1977 ISBN missing On Mountain of Gold Seamstresses Find Pay Is Low The New York Times August 5 1972 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ben Fee amp oldid 1145013611, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
