Edmund S. Wong

Ed Wong is the author of Growing Up in San Francisco Chinatown: Boomer Memories From Noodle Rolls to Apple Pie (Arcadia Publishing, 2018).

Chinese-American Baby Boomers who grew up within the 29 square blocks of San Francisco’s Chinatown lived in two worlds. Elders implored the younger generation to retain ties with old China even as the youth felt the pull of a future sheathed in red, white and blue. The family owned shops, favorite siu-yeh (snack) joints, and the gai-chongs where mothers labored as low-wage seamstresses contrasted with the allure of Disney, sporty cars, and baseball. It was a childhood immersed in two vibrant cultures and languages, shaped by both. The book is a testament to the legacy of Chinatown’s inhabitants and the neighborhood’s heart and soul from its golden age.

Ed was born at San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital in 1948 and is a graduate of Galileo High School. He used graduate degrees in Spanish and International Relations to enjoy a long career in foreign language education. Since retiring in 2013 Ed has been busy with his lifelong passion of writing. He is planning a companion book to Growing Up in San Francisco Chinatown.