Playing Rough and Tough

Chinese American Women Basketball Players in the 1930s and 1940s

The kitchen sink drained into a bucket, and ice was delivered every other day until 1951, when the family bought a refrigerator.Sandwiched between buildings in the congested ghetto, the only public playground in San Francisco's Chinatown became a source of community pride. Located on Sacramento Street between Stockton Street and Waverly Place, the property was purchased by the San Francisco Recreation Department for $54,114.25 in October 1925. Upon opening in 1927, the Chinatown community referred to it as "the Playground," and this half-acre of land soon became the hub ol Chinatown sports. During its first year, estimated total attendance was 124,332/ Always buzzing with activities, the Playground provided play space for all ages. The younger children would dig busily in the sandbox behind the clubhouse or joyfully hang from the monkey bars in front of the building.8 The older kids mostly played more organized games, like volleyball, tetherball, or basketball. Under the direction of male and female staff of different racial backgrounds, the Playground also offered storytelling hour, harmonica bands, checker tournaments, model airplane construction, kite making, and organized girls' and boys' clubs. Yearly basketball tournaments and the annual national Chinese tennis championships drew large crowds to the Playground. The Playground was known for many sports and for a wide range of activities, including tennis lessons and the construction of prize-winning kites.9The construction site is not in a rural area of Portland, but it is tucked behind trees, Grant said. He believes the cover gave the thieves confidence to carry out the job.Marvin and Esther live in traditional homes today. But they wouldn't trade the home of their youth.A few years later, the family dug an addition that included a third bedroom. They also enclosed the stairwell the family used as a front door, giving it 1,176 square feet of living space."We ran out of money and it just never got finished."Walsh Construction recovered some of its stolen equipment last year. The company found some of the items at a pawn shop, said Gabe Mateer, assistant equipment manager. Police found more of it during an unrelated search at a residence, Mateer said. The equipment was stolen from the renovation site of the Serendipity School in Southeast Portland, where it was being stored inside the school building overnight.It was especially hard playing against taller people. You just had to try to pivot. Do one pivot and get away, then pass quickly. If we could pass fast, then we could usually sink the under bucket shots. . . . We had to sorta try and oulspeed them.17Their mother, Beulah, lived in the basement home more than 50 years until her death in 2002. Today, Esther's daughter and her family call it home.

The Playground players defined themselves as Chinese American women through their strength, stamina, and toughness. Ruth Whang, wife of longtime Playground director Paul Whang, explained that many of the girls at the Playground were "little hghter[s| and toughies."'1 Rather than scorning physical strength and agility, many of the Chinese Playground women's teams revered these characteristics. Franche Lee reflected: "I suppose we would have been considered Chinese American hippies of that time. There were not any actual hippies in the 1930s. But we were sort of different [from other Chinese American teenagers]. We were always outside, running around, hiking, playing basketball."23 The Playground women relished their time playing basketball and in doing so, they created a sense of community as athletic women. Jennie Chong Jue, a Playground team member from the 1940s, explained that "[The Blue Stars) were pretty well-rounded. Sure, there were some girls that were boy crazy. We liked boys too, but we also liked basketball. It was our outlet ..... There was camaraderie. We supported each other."2'' Jane Chew Wong, a member of a Playground basketball team in the 1940s, agreed:

Author: Yep, Kathleen S