Description
These papers document Alice Fong Yu’s lifelong commitment to teaching and her role as a Bay Area Chinese American community
leader. Included are files Yu maintained during her career with the San Francisco Unified School District; Yu’s coursework
from the speech therapy program at U.C. Berkeley; professional and family correspondence; biographical materials and clippings
that highlight many of Yu’s various professional and civic achievements; photograph albums and scrapbooks; administrative
materials and publications relating to the Square and Circle Club, the Chinese Historical Society of America, and Berkeley
Community Church; and various publications relating to Chinese and Chinese American interests and history.
Background
Alice Fong Yu (1905-2000) was recruited as the first Chinese American teacher in San Francisco by Commodore Stockton Elementary
upon completion of her studies at San Francisco Teachers College in 1926. Inspired by her experiences with her son who was
born with cerebral palsy, Yu returned to school in the 1950s and obtained a credential in special education and speech therapy
from U.C. Berkeley. With her certification, Yu worked as a speech therapist throughout San Francisco schools until her retirement
in 1970. In 1996 San Francisco renamed the nation’s first Chinese-immersion program the Alice Fong Yu School in her honor.
In addition to her work as an educator, Yu was very active in many Chinatown organizations. She was a founding member of both
the Square and Circle Club and the Chinese Historical Society of America.
Restrictions
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the
Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
Availability
This collection is open for research.