Mosaic - Lit Ng
1932 - present | Born in Guangdong, China | Arrived on Angel Island in 1939
Lit Ng arrived on Angel Island as a “paper son.” The Chinese Exclusion Act made it difficult for people with Chinese ancestry to come to the United States. Lit pretended to be the son of a US citizen to get past the restrictive immigration laws.
Although he only attended school through seventh grade, Lit became a successful business owner who gave back to his community. He raised a large family with his wife Sintao in Monterey, California.
Lit (held by his mother) with his siblings in China, 1936. Courtesy of Lit Ng
Lit was only six years old when he saw the violence and destruction of the Japanese invasion of China. His family decided to flee from Guangdong to Hong Kong, travelling on foot for over a week. Lit’s father, who had previously immigrated to the United States, met the family in Hong Kong. He bought papers for Lit to return to San Francisco with him on a steamship.
Lit's certificate of identity, 1939. Lit Ng is his paper name. In China, he was known as Liu Kwok Lin. Source: National Archives and Records Administration
Lit and his father were detained on Angel Island for a week and were questioned about their paper identities. After they were released they settled in San Francisco's Chinatown. Lit began elementary school and also started to work. The family later moved to Tulare, a rural town in the Central Valley where Lit's uncle ran a butcher shop.
Lit and Sintao have been married for over 70 years. Courtesy of Lit Ng
In 1947, Lit and his father returned to their village in China. Lit enrolled in a local middle school where he met his future wife, Sintao. Soon after, Lit’s father decided that he and Lit should return to the US to avoid the escalating Chinese Civil War. Just sixteen and fifteen years old, Lit and Sintao were quickly married in a village ceremony before Lit departed China.
Lit overlooks his store on Monte Mart’s opening day in Salinas, CA, 1962. Courtesy of Lit Ng
After returning to the US, Lit began working full time to support his growing family. Back in China, Sintao gave birth to a daughter. 1951, Lit was able to bring them both to California. The family expanded their butcher shop in Tulare into a chain of successful supermarkets in the Monterey area. Lit was the president of the company.
Lit and Sintao in front of a school that they helped fund in Guangzhou, China, date unknown. Courtesy of Lit Ng
Lit retired in 1974 after selling his company. He began to spend his time travelling, hunting, and supporting wildlife conservation. Lit and Sintao are passionate about education and have helped establish seven hospitals and 45 schools throughout China. They have been married for over 70 years and still live in Monterey. They have six children and eleven grandchildren.
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