A Willow Tree Becomes a Forest: The Story of Hop Lee in Salem, Oregon

Name: A Willow Tree Becomes a Forest: The Story of Hop Lee in Salem, Oregon
Start: 2025-04-02T12:00:00-07:00
End: 2025-04-02T13:00:00-07:00
Location: Oregon Historical Society

Schedule

Wed Apr 02 2025 at 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Oregon Historical Society | Portland, OR

Join us for a free public multimedia presentation by Dr. Russell N. Low celebrating Oregon’s early Chinese American history. As he writes in A Willow Tree Becomes A Forest, 150 years ago, teenager Low Sun Fook came to America with a blank journal, a fortune teller scroll, and a burning desire to become American. He encountered anti-Chinese laws and attitudes but formed unexpected lifelong bonds within Salem’s community. This story celebrates the immigrant American spirit while highlighting the challenges of putting down roots amidst Chinese Exclusion laws.
During this program, the author will discuss the genealogical source documents used in his research, including the 150-year-old journal of Hop Lee, the Low Family Fortune Teller Scroll, The Low Family Jiapu, 30-year-old family video interviews, and hundreds of historical photographs. Audience members will be invited to ask questions, and copies of the book will be available for sale.