by Tim Persyn
Like any genuine social activist, 86-year-old Ernest Hung's motivations run deep. Fifteen years ago he founded the Hua Kuang Chinese Reading Room in Palo Alto with ambitious, multilayered goals. Initially, he said, "I wanted to introduce Chinese culture to young Chinese-Americans." But the reasons behind the room now go beyond this straightforward goal.
"Communist China will surely crumble, and when it does, it will need to be reconstructed. Chinese-Americans educated in Chinese culture will be capable of rebuilding China," he said.
On first glance, Hung and his reading room may not seem remarkable. Located in an average-sized classroom at the Cubberley Community Center, the quiet reading room has grown during its existence from 1,600 to 12,000 volumes, largely from donations. On a given afternoon, a handful of people mill in and out to browse through reading materials. Like his reading room, Hung seems quiet and unassuming. Until, that is, he starts to talk about Chinese culture and his goals for its dissemination in America.
Then it becomes obvious that there is more to Hung and his reading room than meets the eye.
The reading room covers a range of cultural topics that may seem obscure in America, from ancient Chinese intellectuals to the 5,000-year history of China. But Hung brings them to life through his passion for his culture. An interview quickly turns into a lecture on the role of Confucius in Chinese society and the Chinese-American experience in Chinatowns during the 19th century. He covers it all, briskly but with depth, bridging time and cultural differences.
In his own life, Hung has had to bridge many gaps between China and the United States. He escaped Communist China alone in 1950, and brought his family out later. He immigrated to the United States in 1959 with five children and $90 in his pocket. He then worked as a chemist at Varian Associates until retirement in 1976. In the early 1980s he started his reading room to introduce Chinese-Americans to the culture he retained over time and space but that others lost in the bustle to become successful in America.
"Second-generation Chinese Americans often don't know their culture," he said. "They were busy trying to adjust to life in America. But the third generation comes back."
Michael Chang, an instructor in Asian-American studies at De Anza College, agrees to some extent with Hung's thoughts. "In some cases the third generation might realize what they are missing culturally if the second generation was busy becoming 'Americanized,'" he said. "Learning about cultural roots becomes a way to enrich one's life."
Cultural preservation is a key aspect of Hung's goals for both the reading room and his own life. A current project of Hung's is to translate and summarize classic Chinese thought into short, readable texts, so that it can be absorbed by young Chinese-Americans.
Chang thinks a resurgence of interest in learning about China will arise out of the increasingly important role the country plays in world affairs. "As China becomes a greater actor in the Pacific Rim economy, its prominence will encourage all types of people to learn about China."
Hung agreed. "I think eventually America will need to know about China. However, my intentions are aimed at Chinese-Americans. If the public wants to join, so much the better."
The Hua Kuang Reading Room is located at the Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.
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