Oral History Interview with S.W. Sang, 2004-03-11

File

Identifier: 2014.036.022

Staff Only

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

Creation: 2004-03-11

Language of Materials

Interview in Cantonese Chinese, English transcript available.

Conditions Governing Access

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

1.11 Gigabytes

Additional Description

Abstract

S.W. Sang is a local Chinatown jewelry merchant who arrived in the United States during the 1970s. In this interview, he talks about his life as a migrant, moving from country to country, including China, Macau, and the Dominican Republic before finally settling in New York City. Sang was trained as a jeweler at a young age in the Dominican Republic and would eventually establish his business in Manhattan, operating stores in Harlem and Chinatown. As Sang expanded his business in Chinatown, he became more involved with community affairs and helped to establish associations that protected the interests of Chinatown locals and businesses. Sang also discusses the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and its effects on the local economy of Chinatown.