Washington Street
The Heart and Soul of Stockton Chinatown
Chinese Associations in Stockton
Chinese immigrants to the United States in the 1850s were mostly single men. These men came from one of twenty-four districts of the Guangdong Province. Most of the immigrants came from three major dialect groups: the Sam Yup (Namhoi, Punyu and Shuntak districts), the Sze Yup (Sunwui, Toishan, Hoiping and Yanping districts), and the Heungshan district.
These three groups established temporary shelters for their homeless, elderly, sick, dying and new immigrants. They provided food, clothing, shelter, medical care and funeral expenses. The Yeong Wo Association organized one of the earliest temporary shelters in Stockton. It was located at the Heungshan Temple on North Hunter Street. In 1923, the temple moved to quarters above the association’s office at 134½ East Washington Street, where it remained until the 1960s. The Sze Yup established a shelter at 216 South Madison Street. In 1924, it moved to 131 East Church Street. The Sam Yup shelter was located at 19 East Washington Street until the 1960s.
Besides identifying with organizations based on dialect spoken, members of the Chinese community also identified with organizations based on native geographical-regional associations, family-clan kinship, open and closed fraternal organizations, religious organizations, and political organizations. A person could belong to multiple organizations. These organizations or associations gave people a connection to their homeland and tied together those with certain family names and political, religious and other beliefs. The associations were brought together under the umbrella of Chung Wah, also known as the Chinese Benevolent Association. The peak number of associations that existed in the past is unclear. As recently as 1993 there were seventeen associations, but they are on the decline.
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As of 2016, active associations include the following eight family-clan associations: Gee Deck Sam Deck (Toy, Wu, Chow, Tsao, and Yung), Gee How Oak Tin (Chen, Woo, Yuan), Lee On Dong (Lee), Lung Kong Tin Yee (Liu, Kwan, Chang, Chew), Marr’s (Mah, Mar), Soo Yuen (Louie, Fong, Kwong), Wong’s (Wong, Ng), and Yee Fung Toy (Yee). Active open fraternal organizations include Bing Kong Tong, Suey Sing Chamber of Labor and Commerce, Chinese Youth Club, and Chinese Cultural Society of Stockton. There are fears that more associations will become defunct as members age and are not replaced by those of younger generations.
Group photo of sixteen male members of the Gee Deck Family Association, circa 1925. Holt-Atherton Special CollectionsUniversity of the Pacific 
Soo Yuen Association Grand Opening, 1927. Courtesy of the Chinese Benevolent Association 
Gee Deck Family Association opening commemoration at 10 E. Washington Street on February 24, 1927. Holt-Atherton Special Collections University of the Pacific 
Gee Deck Association headquarters at 17-19 E. Washington Street in 1963 .Robert Shellenberger Collection 
Lee On Dong Association headquarters at 136 S. El Dorado Street in 1963. Robert Shellenberger Collection 
Marrs Association headquarters at 121 E. Washington Street in 1963. Courtesy of the Bank of Stockton 
Wong Kong Har Wun Sun Association headquarters at 131 E. Washington Street in the early 1960s. Courtesy of the Bank of Stockton