Collection is open for research.
Gift of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, care of Betty Jean Lee, January 1999 (Lib. Acc. 23785).
The collection is arranged alphabetically by family name. Most names are Chinese, with family name followed by given name. In a few cases, names are Anglicized or both a Chinese name and an Anglicized name are written on the photograph.
The Chinese-American Citizens Alliance (CACA), Portland Lodge, was organized February 24, 1921, with 50 men as charter members. The national CACA worked against exclusionary immigration and land laws and continues to serve as an anti-defamation watchdog and lobbying group on behalf of Chinese Americans. The Portland Lodge historically has served both a political and social function, and has a stated mission to develop leadership, serve the community, and promote civil rights. It has operated under the umbrella of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.
Chinese-American Citizens Alliance, Portland Lodge, photographs collection, Org. Lot 75, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Many of the portraits were taped to acidic mats that had been used in the exhibit. For preservation purposes, the portraits were separated from the mats, and one mat was retained as an example; it is located in Folder 1.
The collection consists of 50 black-and-white portraits of the founding members of the Chinese-American Citizens Alliance, Portland Lodge. The portraits range in size from 2.5 by 2.75 inches to 3 by 4 inches. They were assembled into an exhibit by the lodge, and the collection includes a chart with names in the order in which the images appeared when the exhibit was intact. For exhibit purposes, names were written in ink on the front of the images. In some cases, names on the chart are spelled slightly differently than names on the photographs. On the backs of some portraits are handwritten identifications in Chinese characters, or glued-on remnants of Chinese-language newspaper used to assemble the exhibit.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Name on exhibit chart is "Chin Moon Soon."
Name on exhibit chart is "Goon Gun Yuen."
Name on exhibit chart is "Leong Ngan Oy."