Mosaic - Fannie (Quock) Quan
1927-2007 | Born in Guangdong, China | Arrived on Angel Island in 1939
Fannie Quock Quan immigrated to the United States as a “paper daughter.” The Chinese Exclusion Act made it difficult for women with Chinese ancestry to come to the US. Fannie took on a false identity to get past the restrictive laws.
She later found a path to citizenship under her true name as an adult. She raised two children in San Francisco with her husband Jim, who was also detained on Angel Island.
Fannie as a child in China before immigrating to the US, c. 1939. Courtesy of Katie Quan
Fannie was 12 years old when she began her journey to San Francisco as a “paper daughter." Her parents and brother had immigrated to the US before her, leaving Fannie with relatives in Hong Kong until identity papers could be bought for her. Her documents stated that she was a 14-year-old named Cheung Toy who was allowed to immigrate as the “daughter of a merchant." Being a child of a merchant, or businessman, was one of the few ways Chinese people were allowed to come to the US.
Fannie's immigration photo, taken after she arrived in the US, 1939. Courtesy of Katie Quan
When Fannie arrived in San Francisco, she met her real father. He worked for a shipping company and was permitted to board her ship as part of his job. He found Fannie and took her to a private cabin to reveal his identity. He had left China when Fannie was a baby so she did not remember him. He asked her if she had studied her false papers and told her what she should expect on Angel Island. Fannie experienced intense interrogations during the two weeks she was detained on Angel Island.
Fannie as a young woman in San Francisco, 1940s. Courtesy of Katie Quan
After she was released from Angel Island, Fannie and her family had to hide the fact that she was a "paper daughter" for years. She graduated from high school and started to work while still using the name Cheung Toy. In 1945, her "paper father" returned to China, leaving his “daughter” Fannie behind. This made the US immigration service suspicious and Fannie was called in for more questioning.
Fannie and Jim Quan on their wedding day, 1951. Courtesy of Katie Quan
In 1950 Fannie met Gim “Jim” Quan through a local Chinese social club. They were married a year later and had two children. Changing immigration laws in the 1950s allowed Fannie to pursue a path to citizenship. She left the US in 1955 and re-entered through Canada. With new immigration papers, she applied for naturalization in 1959 under her true name, Fannie Quan.
Fannie with her husband Jim and children Kelvin (L) and Doreen (R), 1964. Courtesty of Katie Quan.
Fannie balanced her role as a mother and wife with her career as a manager at California’s Public Utilities Commission. Her family remembers her as a highly disciplined but deeply caring woman who was a skilled cook and loved classical music. She valued education above all, making sure that both her children went to college.
Fannie and her granddaughter, Katie Quan, 1996. Katie is an artist whose work can be found in the AIIM Gift Shop. Courtesy of Katie Quan
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