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Oral History Interview with Wing Ma, 2003-11-07

 File
Identifier: 2014.036.016

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

9/11 Chinatown Documentation Project includes oral history interviews of people who lived or worked in the Lower East Side during the events on September 11th, 2001. The individuals whose stories were collected are of diverse immigrant, educational, age and socio-economic backgrounds. The interviewees reflect on the tragedy and discuss how their lives and the lives of others in the community were affected by it. The interviews help to paint a portrait of how the New York Chinatown we know today was shaped by the events of that morning.

Dates

  • 2003-11-07

Conditions Governing Use

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, belong to the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). Interview can only be reproduced with permission from the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).

Extent

242 Megabytes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Wing Ma (Ma Wing Guo) was born in China to a poor farming family who moved to Hong Kong as refugees when he was age two. Wing talks about his life growing up in Hong Kong with his mother working in the garment industry and his father working as a chef in Manila. He studied until post-secondary school before moving to the United States to train and work as an engineer. Wing would eventually join the garment industry as a factory owner, and describes the industry’s decline over time due to overseas competition. This would also lead to his own factory’s closure. He details workers' pay, union benefits such as healthcare, and his involvement with union negotiations as a member and president of the Garment Manufacturers Association. Wing also talks about his involvement with other community organizations following his transition into the liquor industry, such as the Asian American Advisory Council under Peter Vallone and Community Board Three. He shares his experiences acting as a liaison between the government and the local community and shares some of the positive changes this brought to Chinatown. During the September 11th, 2001 attacks, he recalls being shocked and upset that he was unable to reach friends and loved ones. He talks about the effects of the attacks on Chinatown through his personal experiences as a building landlord. He recalls the mass exodus of tenants from the area and the difficulty in obtaining support from relief funds for the Chinatown community. He discusses the need for the government to subsidize and support businesses returning to the area to improve the local economy. He also encourages the Chinatown community to become more active and participate in local government or social work. He concludes with a discussion of his thoughts on the future of the garment industry and alternative job prospects for Chinatown residents.

Repository Details

Part of the Museum of Chinese in America Repository

Contact:
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