The University Libraries Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections recently received The Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.) Albuquerque Lodge Records and have made them available for research. This collection was made possible through longtime UNM donor, Dr. Siu G. Wong.
The Chinese American Citizens Alliance Albuquerque Lodge was founded in 1961. The organization is part of the national C.A.C.A. which was established in San Francisco in 1895. Its mission is to promote citizenship, community service, and leadership. At the local level, the Albuquerque Lodge offers social activities, leadership programs, and educational scholarships. The Lodge teaches young people about their cultural heritage and helps prepare them for their future.
The collection contains C.A.C.A. brochures, conference programs, meeting agendas, minutes, photographs, and notes. Material includes documents from C.A.C.A. events locally and across the country. Ten selected photographs from the C.A.C.A. Collection are available to the public on the CSWR New Mexico Digital Collection site. Among the many photographs is a photo of the 1961 C.A.C.A. Albuquerque Lodge founding members. Also featured in the collection is the planning of activities such as the Albuquerque Chinese American Film Festival, Autumn Moon Golf Tournament, the building of a monument to an 1882 New Mexico Chinese American landmark civil rights case, and the Chinese American museum exhibit that was featured in the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History.
Dr. Siu Wong and her spouse, Dr. William Jones sponsored the CSWR’s C.A.C.A. year-long archival fellowship which was bestowed on Andrea Quijada, who processed the collection. Quijada holds an M.A. in Art History from UNM and is currently a UNM Ph.D. candidate in Art History. Among other achievements, she has founded and led various organizations in Albuquerque and is the former Executive Director of the Media Literacy Project (MLP). During her tenure at MLP, she served two terms on the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee. While at UNM, Quijada received the competitive 2020-2021 Susan Deese-Roberts Teaching Assistant of the Year Award.
Wong and Jones have been leading members within the UNM and Albuquerque community for several years. Wong previously served as the president of the C.A.C.A. Albuquerque Lodge and led the efforts for placing the plaque honoring Chinese American pioneers on the Imperial building in downtown Albuquerque.
Both Wong and Jones helped to raise funds for The View from Golden Mountain monument located at the Bernalillo County Courthouse to commemorate the 1882 landmark Chinese American civil rights case, Territory of New Mexico v. Yee Shun Chinese.
In her career as an Optometrist, she served as the Director of the Division of Eye Care for the U.S. Public Health Service - Indian Health Service program for the Albuquerque area.
William Jones, who is also an Albuquerque Optometrist graduated from the UNM Biology department in 1969. He has worked with the Veterans Administration and was the founding president of the Optometric Retinal Society.
Both Wong and Jones continue to be avid donors at UNM and currently sponsor the Dr. William Jones and Dr. Siu Wong UNM Biology Department Urgent Needs Endowed Fund.
The C.A.C.A. Collection helps fulfill the shared goal of Wong, the Albuquerque Lodge, and CSWR to preserve and teach Chinese American history in New Mexico. The finding guide to the collection can be found on the CSWR New Mexico Archives Online site. The collection is also available to the public during regular CSWR library hours.
The Chinese American Citizens Alliance Albuquerque Lodge Records Collection is only the beginning of CSWR’s intent to document the lives of Chinese Americans in New Mexico. CSWR welcomes the donation of all Chinese American materials - photographs, letters, diaries, and recordings that expands on the contributions of not only C.A.C.A. members but Chinese Americans in New Mexico in general. These collections will chronicle the Chinese American diaspora in Albuquerque and New Mexico. For more information about the collection, visit library.unm.edu/cswr.
If you are interested in donating to CSWR for the preservation and education efforts of the collection, visit goto.unm.edu/donate.