A Brief History of the
The Ventura County Chinese American Historical Society
(Historical Society) was founded in December 2000 under the auspices of the
Ventura County Chinese American Association (VCCAA). Currently the Historical
Society comprises thirty-three members. The Chair of the Historical Society is
George Yu. The official historian of the Historical Society is Linda Bentz. Our
treasurer is S.K. Leong.
The mission of the Historical Society is to perform original
research, preserve, publish and teach the history and experiences of Chinese
Americans in Ventura County. The Historical Society also coordinates with city,
county and state government offices and officials in matters relating to the
preservation, communication and recognition of the Chinese American heritage. In
addition, the Historical Society serves as the focal point for the distribution
of related educational materials, presentation of historical symposia and the
arrangement of public speakers on topics relating to the history of Chinese
Americans in Ventura County.
As its inaugural event, the Historical Society organized the
Annual Cultural Night event for the VCCAA in February 2001 at the Camarillo
Community Center. The theme of the event was the past, present and future of
the Chinese Americans.
In 2003, the Historical Society collaborated with George
Sandoval of WestEnds Production in the making of the documentary “Courage and
Contribution: History of the Chinese in Ventura County”. The film opened to
critical acclaim from both the academic and local community. We are in the
process of developing a teacher guide and a children’s book to accompany the
documentary. We plan to donate copies of the documentary for use in the public
school curriculum. The film is available in public libraries and the Ventura County
Museum of History and Art.
Since 2001, the Historical Society has assisted the Ventura
City Council in the construction and funding of the first memorial dedicated to
the legacy of the Chinese pioneers in