Series:

Suburban Chinatown: Chinese American Business and Political Leaders in the San Gabriel Valley

Topic:

Asian American History

Biographical Note:

Immigrant from Taiwan. Realtor for Coldwell Banker George Realty.

Interviewer:

Cline, Alex

Interviewee:

Fu, Ellen and Crosby, Thomas H.

Persons Present:

Fu, Crosby, and Cline.

Place Conducted:

Coldwell Banker George Realty office in Alhambra, California.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Alex Cline, series coordinator, UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research; musician. Cline prepared for the interview by studying biographical information supplied by the interviewee and by holding a pre-interview meeting with the interviewee.

Processing of Interview:

The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording. It was transcribed by a professional transcribing agency using a list of proper names and specialized terminology supplied by the interviewer. Fu was then given an opportunity to review the transcript and made a number of corrections and additions. Those corrections were entered into the text without further editing or review on the part of the Center for Oral History Research staff.

Length:

5 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

The Suburban Chinatown series focuses on political and business leaders in the San Gabriel Valley who came to the U.S. in the post-1965 wave of Asian immigration after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the quota system based on national origins. The series was undertaken as a collaborative effort between the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research and the American East Asian Cultural and Educational Foundation (AEACEF). AEACEF recommended the majority of the individuals interviewed and introduced the interviewer to the narrators. Many of the narrators are also featured in the AEACEF’s book Thirty Years of Chinese American Immigration in Southern California.

Fu’s father’s family history in Taiwan—Mother’s background and prominent career in Taiwanese politics—Neighborhood and home in Taipei—Mother’s qualities as a parent—Father’s personal qualities—Mother’s first marriage was an arranged marriage—Mother’s busy schedule and concern for and giving to the Taiwanese people—Fu’s interests and religious background growing up—Pursues a career in nursing after attending Taipei Medical University—Enjoyment of Western and Japanese popular culture growing up—Classmates and their extracurricular activities—Mother’s unappreciated and unsuccessful matchmaking efforts on Fu’s behalf—Went into nursing, as did many other women in Taiwan—Training in nursing that helped Fu in her life—Recruited to work as a registered nurse in Giesen, West Germany—Professional and emotional challenges of the nursing job in Germany—Racial, cultural, and culinary issues while living in Germany—Help in being prepared and in adjusting to the cultural differences she received from her mother and from local German people—Travels to Japan to stay with her sister in Tokyo for six months—Entertains the idea of opening a health food store—Mother sends her and her siblings to live in the U.S. due to concerns about the unstable political situation in Taiwan at the time—Stays with her older brother in Sparks, Nevada, in 1974—Family’s familiarity with the U.S. and with American culture—The language barrier—Visits sister in Alhambra—Impressions of the Los Angeles area—Changing demographics in the Monterey Park-Alhambra area--Connects with other Chinese people in the area—Co-workers introduce Fu to local American culture—A poor investment decision--Goes into real estate--Diverse communities and clients she began to experience as a realtor—A huge influx of immigrants from Taiwan comes to the Monterey Park area within one year during the early 1980s—Strategies used by real estate partners Fu and Tom Crosby— Fu becomes the top seller for Herbert Hawkins Realty—Meets future husband Tom Crosby—Fu’s enjoyment of the Alhambra area.

More on how Fu decided to go into real estate—Support she received from friends and relatives when she started out as a realtor—Crosby’s early life on the Washington island of Anacortis—Parents' backgrounds—Travels with parents traveling around the U.S. with their carnival/state fair business—His early love of Chinese food—His migratory school experience—Family settles in the San Gabriel Valley in 1957--The San Gabriel Valley area during the late fifties and early sixties—Interest in art and music--Attends Mount San Antonio College in Walnut--Drafted to serve in Vietnam—Returns to San Gabriel Valley, where he plays in rock bands--Crosby’s father’s familiarity with and appreciation for Chinese-owned businesses and people in the area—Influx of immigrants from Taiwan into the area—Frederic Hsieh, property pioneer in the area—Residents’ reactions to the rapid influx of Chinese immigrants into the area—How Fu handled sellers’ feelings and lack of cultural understanding—Transactions with the new immigrants--Reactions of locals to the wave of immigration--Some immigrants leave Monterey Park after the city’s demonstrations of anger toward them--Buyers begin moving into cities adjacent to Monterey Park, leading to the expansion of the immigrant presence in the San Gabriel Valley—Types of properties most often sought by the immigrants in the early eighties—Patterns of home ownership among the new immigrants--Fu’s family’s opposition to her marriage—Sellers begin to prefer an Asian real estate agent—Gets married in Taiwan and establishes a home in San Gabriel—Race relations in the San Gabriel Valley in the late 1980s—Vietnamese immigration into the area during the eighties—Non-Chinese patronage of Chinese businesses in the area by the end of the eighties.

Immigration to the San Gabriel Valley in the 1990s and real estate buying patterns--Fu and Crosby’s departure from Herbert Hawkins to begin working for George Realty in 1988—Places where Vietnamese immigrants settled in the San Gabriel Valley—Changes in the area’s real estate market as the 1990s progressed—Advantages for immigrants to locate and invest in Southern California real estate—Immigration from Hong Kong after it turns over to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997—Chinese language signage proliferates in the area during the 1990s—Fu and Crosby’s son Tom’s bi-cultural, bilingual, and bi-religious upbringing and education—Impact of the construction of the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple on property demand in the Hacienda Heights area—Fu and Crosby buy George Realty in 1991, open a second office in 1996, and eventually join with Coldwell banker in 1998, becoming Coldwell Banker George Realty—Large numbers of buyers from mainland China begin coming into the area in the late 2000s—Strong interest in buying new properties creates development opportunities in the area—Increase in demand for property in San Marino and Arcadia in the late 2000s—Cultural differences between earlier immigrants from Taiwan and more recent immigrants from the PRC—Cultureal issues with regard to real estate transactions--Cash purchases increase markedly in more recent years—Comfort level of Asian residents in the now largely Asian San Gabriel Valley—Relationship between the area’s Asian and non-Asian residents—Local realtors’ direct involvement with disgruntled residents in the area during the 1980s—Diversity of Fu’s and Crosby’s clients at present—The attraction of the area’s businesses to people outside the area—Increase in local citizens’ involvement in their local institutions—The immigrants’ level of awareness of Chinese American history—The gradually higher profile of the Asian American community in more mainstream American society—Serving the second generation of Asian Americans as realtors—Impact of the revolution in digital technology and social media on the new generation of real estate agents—The increase in buyers’ level of knowledge about available property because of Internet access to information—Contribution of the Chinese immigrant community to Southern California society and beyond—The operation of a fluently bi-cultural business in the San Gabriel Valley has been a winning strategy for the company--Fu’s pride in being Taiwanese and her love for the U.S.