Vallejo & Santa Rosa, CA - Story of Chew loves Wong

Santa Rosa is nothing shy of a noble Chew story. Although, the Chew clan would join the Wong through their union, the story is really about another Tale from the Ming Terrace.

The first arrival of our Chew presence in Santa Rosa is when the handsome Dr. Chew Fish Yuen followed in his father, grandfather, and great grandfather’s footsteps by continuing the long tradition of Chinese Eastern Medicine. Cousin, Dr. Chew Fish Yuen would expand the Red Bluff family’s herbal physician business by moving to Santa Rosa, CA operating a practice located at 613 College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA. He faced many trials and tribulations including lawsuits and arrests for practicing medicine beyond the scope of his Chiropractor license. However, the Chew family was widely reputable throughout the North State, especially when it came to their herbal practices which was generational and is today acknowledge as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC).

While the Chew men were dashing, ambitious and successful, it was the Chew women in the 20th Century who persevered and made our families a home. There’s a long standing rumor that Santa Rosa, California had attempted the “Eureka Method” of Chinese Expulsion but it is evident through the Wong story, there were Chinese that lived and settled in the community of Santa Rosa including our own Auntie Hazel.

The story of Bobbie Wong

Uncle Robert Hing Wong, also known as Bobbie, was born in Vallejo, California on March 18, 1921. He would later marry Auntie Hazel Chew. Bobbie’s mother, Minnie was born in California on February 8, 1896 and was buried in Santa Rosa, CA on April 6, 1949. His father, Ham Wong (Lee Gim Chung), lived until he was 91 years old (1949) and in Chinese culture dating from the Qing Dynasty we have a saying:

住在杭州, 穿在苏州, 食在广州, 死在柳州

"To live is Hangzhou, born in Suzhou, eat in Guangzhou, and die in Liuzhou"

Uncle Bobbie’s family immigrated to America in 1870 and at the age of 12, his father Ham Wong would become a bus boy at a restaurant in Vallejo, California. He was eventually promoted to a cook and during World War I, served as the head chef at the old Civil War, Mare Island Naval Yard in Vallejo, CA which gained prominence for its shipbuilding. Years later this would be the same shipyard many of Uncle Bobbie’s friends would work at during WWII. By then, the “base grew into one of the largest naval facilities in the world”.

In 1919, Ham and Minnie Wong moved to Santa Rosa, California with their four children: Robert Wong (Santa Rosa, CA), Willie Wong (Newcastle, CA), Charlotte Lim (San Francisco, CA), and stepson Wong Hing Kay (New York, NY). The couple purchased the former Fong & Lee Chinese Herbal Company, which was also the former Shun Chew Herbal Company and later Louis Restaurant, located at 209 Fourth Street. They eventually renamed the business to Minnie Wong's Chinese Restaurant, operating it until 1946. However, what he really liked to sell was lottery tickets.

Although Mr. Ham Wong enjoyed selling lottery tickets, an ancient game dating back to the Chinese Han Dynasty from 187 BC, he was occasionally arrested for the practice. By today’s standards, Mr. Ham Wong did nothing wrong until the police arrested you. They even arrested his wife, Minnie.

Today, the restaurant’s location is AC Hotel by Marriott Santa Rosa Sonoma Wine Country.

In the early 20th century, the Chinese community in Santa Rosa began to decline due to a combination of factors, including anti-immigration laws, economic hardship, and the dispersal of Chinese residents to other areas. The repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act helped to create a more inclusive society and the community appreciated the men who served. Uncle Bobbie was well liked since he was quite the tennis athlete. In the paper, it stated Sgt Bobbie Wong received a highly distinguished Unit Badge while serving in the Armed Forces, B-26 Marauder Group for his “outstanding performance, extraordinary accuracy bombing targets, and for over 350 missions”.

In 1947 he met the love of his life, Auntie Hazel and they were married in Reno, NV. However in the 1960’s, there were only a few Chinese residents left in the city including Uncle Bobbie and Auntie Hazel. Nonetheless, they started their family. Uncle Bobbie worked for the USPS as a mail carrier. Sadly Uncle Bobbie became sick and to make matters worse, he and Auntie Hazel would suffer the ultimate tragedy of losing their son Perry in 1974. A grief no parent should ever face of never seeing their child again and the loss of future hopes and plans for them. To make Auntie Hazel’s life even more unimaginable, just two years later in 1976, Uncle Bobbie passed away leaving Auntie Hazel to care for their six remaining children. One cannot imagine the strength it takes to move forward. Additionally, as a Chinese American woman, she faced countless challenges and obstacles, but she remained steadfast in her commitment to her family. Despite the societal pressures of her generation to remarry, Auntie Hazel chose to remain a strong and devoted single parent. She demonstrated remarkable resilience, resourcefulness, and an unwavering dedication to her children, sacrificing her own goals and ambitions to ensure their success. And it is through Auntie Hazel’s children and grandchildren that you can see how much she succeeded in creating a nurturing and loving environment instilling values of hard work, independence, and self-reliance.

She is an inspiration to us all. We miss you Auntie Hazel and Uncle Bobbie.

In Loving Memory of

Robert Hing Wong, Hazel Chew Wong and Perry Wong