the history of the houston lodge cACA
Taken from The History of the Chinese in Houston by Dr. Edward C.M. Chen
The idea of a Houston Lodge CACA was described in the Houston Post of February 13, 1952: Albert Gee is unofficial mayor of Houston's Chinatown. Brilliant and energetic, his goal is to organize a Houston chapter of the CACA." Albert enlisted the help of many others, E.K.T. Chen, Judge Sam Eng, Charles Chan, Hobert Joe, Henry Lee, Wallace Gee and Jimmy Kwan. Judge Sam Eng visited California to consult with the national organization. Hobert Joe and Henry Lee organized the business men while Wallace Gee and Jimmy Kwan recruited members.
On November 7, 1954, the Houston CACA was founded. It is the third oldest Chinese organization in Houston. During its initial founding was the efforts of the United States Government to pursue legal actions against the Chinese Americans in the wake of the Korean War. Just as the Japanese had been interned, so also was there a call for such action against the Chinese. The effort began in Texas, but was thwarted by the first President of the Houston Lodge, Edward K.T. Chen. He wrote the following to solicit members. "With a chapter of the CACA in Houston, we can bring forth the united effort of our people to participate in the local community affairs to prove that we are good American citizens and that we intend to fully assume the responsibilities that go with our citizenship. At the same time we can take part in any nation-wide effort to protest any discriminatory practices that may be prejudicial to our rights and to protect those rights which are guaranteed to us by the laws and Constitution of the United States."
By the end of 1954, there were nearly 100 members. By 1957, practically every male Chinese citizen was a member. In the 1950's, defacto exclusion of Chinese from professional schools was rampant. The first Chinese graduated from medical school in Texas in the middle 1950's. This was in part due to the behind the scenes efforts of the CACA. The pressure on medical, dental and law schools to accept Chinese was subtle but carried the weight of the national organization. It was more effective since the leader of the local group, K.T. Chen, was a professor and employee of the FBI.
In the late 1950's the CACA led a boycott against a major oil company that refused to hire a more qualified Chinese female. The case was blatant but it was well known that this particular company would not hire Chinese for any position. The boycott worked and the Chinese were given an equal opportunity for employment. At a later date, Albert Gee worked to get a Chinese woman accepted to the police academy. Other such issues came in by-laws of business and professional organizations, which prevented Chinese serving as officers. Hobert Joe, Albert Gee, Bill Woo, Bill Quan, Charles Chan, Harry Gee, E.K.T. Chen, and E.C.M. Chen all served as officers at the local, state and national levels.
The CACA is the only Chinese organization, which requires that its full voting members be citizens of the United States. Both men and women are welcomed to the organization. It is an effective voice for all Chinese who wish to truly enter the mainstream of the American Society.
The idea of a Houston Lodge CACA was described in the Houston Post of February 13, 1952: Albert Gee is unofficial mayor of Houston's Chinatown. Brilliant and energetic, his goal is to organize a Houston chapter of the CACA." Albert enlisted the help of many others, E.K.T. Chen, Judge Sam Eng, Charles Chan, Hobert Joe, Henry Lee, Wallace Gee and Jimmy Kwan. Judge Sam Eng visited California to consult with the national organization. Hobert Joe and Henry Lee organized the business men while Wallace Gee and Jimmy Kwan recruited members.
On November 7, 1954, the Houston CACA was founded. It is the third oldest Chinese organization in Houston. During its initial founding was the efforts of the United States Government to pursue legal actions against the Chinese Americans in the wake of the Korean War. Just as the Japanese had been interned, so also was there a call for such action against the Chinese. The effort began in Texas, but was thwarted by the first President of the Houston Lodge, Edward K.T. Chen. He wrote the following to solicit members. "With a chapter of the CACA in Houston, we can bring forth the united effort of our people to participate in the local community affairs to prove that we are good American citizens and that we intend to fully assume the responsibilities that go with our citizenship. At the same time we can take part in any nation-wide effort to protest any discriminatory practices that may be prejudicial to our rights and to protect those rights which are guaranteed to us by the laws and Constitution of the United States."
By the end of 1954, there were nearly 100 members. By 1957, practically every male Chinese citizen was a member. In the 1950's, defacto exclusion of Chinese from professional schools was rampant. The first Chinese graduated from medical school in Texas in the middle 1950's. This was in part due to the behind the scenes efforts of the CACA. The pressure on medical, dental and law schools to accept Chinese was subtle but carried the weight of the national organization. It was more effective since the leader of the local group, K.T. Chen, was a professor and employee of the FBI.
In the late 1950's the CACA led a boycott against a major oil company that refused to hire a more qualified Chinese female. The case was blatant but it was well known that this particular company would not hire Chinese for any position. The boycott worked and the Chinese were given an equal opportunity for employment. At a later date, Albert Gee worked to get a Chinese woman accepted to the police academy. Other such issues came in by-laws of business and professional organizations, which prevented Chinese serving as officers. Hobert Joe, Albert Gee, Bill Woo, Bill Quan, Charles Chan, Harry Gee, E.K.T. Chen, and E.C.M. Chen all served as officers at the local, state and national levels.
The CACA is the only Chinese organization, which requires that its full voting members be citizens of the United States. Both men and women are welcomed to the organization. It is an effective voice for all Chinese who wish to truly enter the mainstream of the American Society.