May Quan Tsang, My Grandmother's Journey Part 6

Here is my Aunt Dorothy's deposition.  I've deleted any repetitive testimony from prior posts.

STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NEW YORK            ss

Mrs. James Seto, of 520 West 124^th Street, New York City, N. Y., being first duly sworn, deposes as follows:

2.    I am an American citizen by birth, having been born in New York City, New York, December 2, 1926, the daughter of Kern Wong and his wife Mrs. May Quan Wong, also known as Quan Shee Wong, both citizens of the Chinese Republic, who then resided at 39 Mott Street, New York City.

4.    I execute this affidavit in behalf of my said mother to identify her and to aid her in obtaining the necessary travel documents to enable her to come to the United States to join my brothers and sisters, four in number, and myself here to resume her residence, and to assist the Consular Officers of the United States in determining her right to such travel documents and the Representatives of the Immigration Service in determining her right, with such travel documents, to enter the United States.  To assist in the identification of my said mother I shall affix hereto her photographic likeness, as well as my own and those of my brother Albert Wong and my sister Joyce Wong, each with her, or his, name inscribed under her, or his, said photographic likeness and each stamped with the Notarial Seal of the Notary who executes the notarization of this instrument.

5.    My said mother and my late father (who died in New York City on November 4, 1931) had five children born to them in New York City, of which five children I am the eldest.  The names and dates of birth of my 3 brothers and of my one sister are as here-in immediately below given:

NAME                                               DATE OF BIRTH

JOYCE WONG                               November 24, 1927

ROBERT WONG                            January 30, 1929

ALBERT WONG                             February 21, 1930

HERBERT WONG                         May 21, 1931

6.    In May, 1935, my said mother, having disposed of my late father’s business, returned to Asia, taking all of us children with her.  We left via the Port of Seattle, Washington, aboard one of the ships of the President Line, probably the President Jefferson.  We went to Hong Kong, where we remained until the Japanese occupation when we went to the village of Kwong Chow Wan, in the Province of Kwantung.  I, however, had returned to the United States to go on with my education.  I reentered the United States via the Port of Seattle, Washington, November 30, 1935, aboard SS President Grant.  In the United States I resided with a family friend Mrs. Lin Quong, at 173 Washington Street, Brooklyn, New York, while I attended public school in Brooklyn.  

I there remained until October of 1939, on the 20^th day of which month I departed from the United States, via the Port of San Francisco, California, aboard SS President Coolidge.  I rejoined the family at Hong Kong.  Robert returned to the United States via the Port of San Francisco, aboard SS President Coolidge, about November 20, 1940.  The rest of the children remained in Asia until after the cessation of hostilities, when we all, save Robert who had, as hereinbefore stated, previously departed, returned to the United States, leaving my said mother, who could not then obtain a visa, in Asia.  We others arrived via the Port of San Francisco, California, October 17, 1946, on board SS Marine Lynx. 

7.    While in Hong Kong and China my sister and brothers had attended Chinese and Catholic Convent Schools in Hong Kong and in Kwong Cho Wan.  When we returned to the United States we lived at 95 Elizabeth Street, New York City, with my said mother’s brother, RAYMOND QUAN.  My brothers, sister and I attended schools in New York.  My sister attended Cathedral High School, I, the DRAKE BUSINESS SCHOOL IN N. Y. where I took a business course.  Upon completion of said course, I became employed by Harold Lee & Sons, Insurance Brokers, of 31 Pell Street, New York City.  I there remained employed until shortly before my marriage, April 14, 1951, to James Seto, of 520 West 124^th Street, New York City, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in China October 12, 1922, a former Petty officer of the United States Navy, honorably discharged at Lido Beach, New York, May 5, 1946.  His serial number was 906-78-93.  My said husband was graduated from the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute with the degree of Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering December, 2943.  He is employed by the Liquidometer Corporation, Skillman Avenue from 36^th to 37^th Street, Long Island City, New York, as engineer, with a current weekly salary of $109.65.  See certification by company, hereto attached and marked Exhibit B.  We have a son, not quite three months old.  Other than he, and my said mother, we have no dependents. 

My sister Joyce, upon her graduation from Cathedral High School, became employed as clerk by the Bell Telephone Laboratories, of Hudson Street, New York City, where she is currently employed at a wage of about $39.00 per week.

My brother ALBERT WONG registered for the draft, but was classified 4F- his Draft Registration Number is 5013079, with Local Board No. 1, New York City 7, N. Y.  He is employed by the Mandarin Restaurant, 102 Market Street, Newark, New Jersey, at a wage of $150.00 per month, and maintains a savings account with The Bowery Savings Bank, 130 Bowery, New York 13, N. Y., account no 1,780,945, which currently amounts to about $750.00.  See certifications by Mandarin Restaurant and Bowery Savings Bank, hereto affixed and numbered Exhibits C, and D, respectively.

8.    I carry two bank accounts, each with the National City Bank of New York, 125^th Street Branch.  One of such accounts, No. 39385, is a compound interest account which amounts currently to about $1294.00 (See affidavit of Bank Official, hereto affixed and marked Exhibit E).  This is carried by me as a sort of general, family account, and is shared in by my sister and my soldier brothers.  The other bank account which I carry at said bank, is a regular checking account, carried jointly by my said husband and myself.  There is in this account, currently, about $1,300.00  (See affidavit of bank official hereto affixed and marked Exhibit F).

9.    Other than our said child and my said mother, neither my husband nor myself has any dependents:  nor have we, or either of us, executed any affidavit to support in behalf of, or made any guarantees with respect to, any other person.  Other than our said mother, none of my brothers nor my sister has any dependents Nor have they, nor any of them, to the best of my knowledge and belief, executed any affidavits of support in behalf of, nor made any guaranties with respect to, any person other than my said mother.

10. Though my said brother Corporal Robert Wong has been my mother’s principal support and a dependency allotment executed by him in her favor has been approved of, he has not been her sole source of support, the remaining children of my said mother, including myself, have at all times acknowledged their responsibilities towards her, and have welcomed the opportunity to discharge same, each to the limit of his, or her ability.  My sister Joyce and my brother Albert and my said husband, James Seto, each shall execute individual affidavits, vouching for the accuracy of the contents hereof, each to the limit of his or of her personal knowledge thereof, and each, individually and collectively, assuming the obligations and guaranties herein made, assumed and provided for.

12. Immediately herebelow I shall cause to be affixed hereto photographic likenesses of my said mother, of myself, and my brother Albert and my sister Joyce, each with the name thereunder of the person whom it represents. 

(Mrs. James) DOROTHY WONG SETO

Sworn to and subscribed before me this second day of June, 1952.