Founders Award

In 1997, to commemorate our Tenth Anniversary, CHCP honored Lillian Gong-Guy and Gerrye Wong in appreciation of their vision and hard driving spirits to get a job done. CHCP would not be what it is today if it were not for their determination, strength of conviction, and belief in the project.

It all started with the digging for the foundation of the San Jose Fairmont Hotel when Chinese artifacts were found by the archeological team commissioned by the City of San Jose. Among the group enlisted by the San Jose Historical Museum (now History San José) to find a home for these pieces in the long-proposed reconstructed Ng Shing Gung temple, two leaders emerged: Lillian Gong-Guy and Gerrye Wong. Joining forces, they merged their unique talents of networking, fundraising, and community service experience to form a valuable team of dedicated volunteers.

It was said, “Who could ever say ‘no’ to Lillian or Gerrye!” They forged forward, bringing together segments of the Chinese and American communities, to bridge an alliance between the City of San Jose and the emerging Chinese American society. Together, these two leaders and their diligence achieved with their Board of Directors the seemingly impossible goal of raising over half a million dollars to establish a Chinese American historical museum within the reconstructed Ng Shing Gung building.

Today thanks to the leadership of these two women, who carried the group through the difficult formation years of 1987-1991, we have the largest museum of Chinese American history in California today. We thank them and their families for the giving of their time and efforts to the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project’s formation and achievements.

Lillian Gong-Guy is married to Dr. Ernest Gong-Guy, the mother of Drs. Bob and Susanne Gong-Guy and of Nelson and Debbie Chan. Along with volunteering her time in the community, she loves to spend time with her grandchildren, Mimi, Mark and Katie. She has been a catalyst in the community as one of its prominent civic leaders since 1960 and continues to volunteer her time with Valle Monte League and CHCP.

Gerrye Wong is married to Calvin Wong and is the mother of Dr. Michael and DeeDee Wong and of Gary and Kelly Matsuura. Her retirement hours are spent enjoying and being exhausted by the youthful exuberance of her five grandchildren: Justin, Todd, Melissa, Garrett and Braden. Besides calling herself a non-paid “professional volunteer,” she also writes her “On the Scene” column for the Asian Week newspaper, and in her leisure says she is finding a new life on the golf course!