鳳凰城華人紀念鄧楷隆，是因為他創造了歷史。相信直至目前為止，美國還沒有任何上市公司的辦公大樓中，會放置著一個屬於華人成功的創業之魂，激勵著後人去不懈奮鬥。美國華人在近代歷史上更多的是忍辱負重，但他們自強不息，有所作為和有所貢獻，鄧楷隆前輩就是一個成功的典範，值得我們去景仰和學習。

鄧楷隆的家人紀念他，是因為他是一位奮發圖強、不斷創業的楷模，同時他又是一位好父親和好前輩，讓我們通過鄧楷隆的傳記對這位有歷史貢獻的華人先輩有更詳細的認識。

鄧楷隆 (HENRY ONG , Sr.) ，1888年出生在中國廣東省開平市護龍村的永安里。
1907年，三藩市的一位中文報紙主編Yick Woon Ong，把鄧楷隆作為小兒子申請來到美國，其時他的名字為＂ONG ，GAR GEUNG＂（鄧家驤），但他只會在有關移民事務使用此名稱，平時他使用的英文名是＂HENRY ONG＂，直到他成為美國公民時，便正式改用此名。
鄧楷隆初到舊金山，開始學習英語。當初他到中國餐館去打工，但他不喜歡做廚師，於是，便改做食品行業方面的工作。

鄧楷隆  (1888-19​​60)

1909-1910年，他來到亞利桑那州鳳凰城，在一些親戚中打工，希望攢夠錢後，能開始自己的事業。他於1915年回到中國，在1916年八月和馬麗卿（MAR LAI HING）小姐結婚，並在1916年十二月返回美國， 1917年1月到達舊金山。之後，夫妻倆回到了鳳凰城，當時他們只有500美元。他用這些錢購買了第三街和東布坎南街（224 E.Buchanan Street )角落的土地，並建立了一間名為＂新和昌＂的雜貨店，而住家就建在商店的後面，這在當時是華人＂前鋪後居＂工作和生活的形式。
1926年，他以17，500美元，在121 E.Buchanan Street建起了第一家倉庫，到1928年又以16，000美元在117 E.Buchanan Street.建立了第二家倉庫。
鄧楷隆是亞利桑那州首位率先做開發商業地產業務的華人，他把倉庫物業作為出租的用途。因為還沒有成為美國的正式公民，因此不能合法持有產權，該財產便記在他的大兒子鄧粵昂(Robert Ong）的名下，當年兒子只有8歲大。該物業正式過戶的名稱為“鄧粵昂倉庫”，這是鄧粵昂的粵語名字。

倉庫當時租給了 Smart & Final 公司作批發產品的倉庫使用。後來 Smart & Final 公司把業務擴大到整個亞利桑那州，所租用的倉庫就成為了批發總部，並保持到1950年代中期，直到公司退出批發雜貨業務才停止租賃並出售。＂鄧粵昂倉庫＂在1985年被列入美國NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES的名單之中，成為鳳凰城中心歷史商業樓宇的一部分。也被列入2000年鳳凰城歷史悠久的文物而被保存下來。2007年，現在的業主R&R partner公司買下這幢物業，作為鳳凰城分公司新辦公地址。

鄧楷隆有著多方面的貢獻：
•他是首位建立把倉庫物業作為出租用途的華人。
•他是鳳凰城最早擁有私家汽車的華人，當時的汽車是“NASH”。
•他還是亞利桑那州中華商會的八位創會人之一，中華商會成立於1939年，是亞省華人第一個在省政府註冊的組織，鄧楷隆曾擔任中華商會會長。

•鄧楷隆作為華人社區三位領袖之一，要求鳳凰城中央浸信會教堂開設華人主日學，日後成為亞利桑那州鳳凰城第一華人浸信會。
•鄧楷隆在鳳凰城唐人街創辦中文學校，並聘請舊金山的中文老師擔任授課。他擔任中文學校校董，關心華裔下一代成長。
•他是第一個帶領自己的孩子回祖國，接受中華傳統教育的第一人。
•1930年代組織政治活動，支持中國國民政府，他被任命為國民黨的鳳凰分支的領導者，多次成為全美黨部大會代表。

•二次大戰期間，鄧楷隆負責籌組中國救災基金，資助抗戰時的中央國民政府。
•鄧楷隆家庭是鳳凰城唯一的華人＂四星級＂的家庭，他們的四個兒子在二戰（1942-1946）中當兵保家衛國，各有戰功。

即使沒有受過什麽教育，鄧楷隆先生及太太自學中文和本土文化，當時很少從中國來的女性能像鄧太那樣能讀會寫中文，此外，兩人都精通西班牙語和土著印第安人部落語言。鄧楷隆的好書法是眾所周知的。他的作品在鳳凰城的鄧高密公所可以看到。

作為第一代的華人移民，鄧楷隆一生目光遠大，他勤奮好學讓他練就生意頭腦，他不懈工作使到他邁向成功，而成功後的鄧楷隆不忘回饋社會，不忘回饋華人社區。他在華人社群中是一位僑領，他在家中是一位慈父，他的言傳身教直到他生命的最後一刻：
他教導孩子，在他的葬禮上取消封建的傳統習俗，比如燒香，擺設熟雞和燒冥錢等，只需虔誠跪拜，放置花圈在他的骨灰盒上。他的開闊心胸令人景仰，至今，許多鳳凰城華人的葬禮都采用了這種形式。

鄧楷隆夫婦是七個孩子父母：孩子分別是： Sophie, Robert, Fred, Henry Jr., Frank, Joseph and Lily。他們還有21個孫子，如今的第三代和第四代的後代生活在全美各地，以及歐洲和亞洲。

BIOGRAPHY OF HENRY ONG, SR. (1888-1960 )             

 Article by Henry Ong

Henry Ong, Sr., (鄧 楷 隆) was born in the village of Hu Long ( 護 龍) Wing On Lae (永安理) Kaiping City, province of GUANGDONG, CHINA.

He came to the United States as a minor son of a Chinese teacher, became lawfully domiciled and a legal resident of the United States in 1907 under the name ONG GAR GEUNG (鄧 家 壤).  He would use this name only on matters relating to immigration. He continued to use the name HENRY ONG in business dealings until he became a United States citizen and officially changed his name to HENRY ONG, Sr.

Upon arriving in San Francisco in 1907, he learned the English language and worked first as chef in various Chinese restaurants. He did not like it and made a change to work in the grocery business instead.

He came to Phoenix when Arizona was still a Territory around 1909-1910 and worked for some relatives, saving enough to eventually start his own business.

He returned to China in 1915, and married MAR LAI HING (馬 麗 卿) in August of 1916 and returned to the U.S. in December of 1916, arriving in San Francisco in January of 1917.

The couple returned to Phoenix.  With $500.00 in hand, he purchased land on the SW corner of  3^rd St. and East  Buchanan Street (224 E. Buchanan St.) and built his grocery store (Sun Wah Cheang) with residential quarters in the back of the store.

He built the first warehouse at 121 East Buchanan Street in 1926 at a cost of $17,500, then built a second warehouse at 117 East Buchanan Street in 1928 for $16,000.

Henry Ong Sr. was the first Arizona Chinese native to develop commercial property, built specifically for rental purposes.  As he was not yet a formal citizen of the United States and thus could not legally hold title to property, the title of the property was held in the name of his oldest son Robert, who was only 8 years old at the time.  The property was formally deeded as “Ong Yut Geong(鄧 粵 昂) Warehouse” which was Robert’s Cantonese name.

The warehouse was leased to others to use as a wholesale produce warehouse. When Smart & Final Wholesale Grocery Company expanded their operations to Arizona, they leased the warehouse as their Arizona headquarters and stayed until the mid-1950’s when they pulled out of the wholesale grocery business.

The “Ong Yut Geong” warehouse was listed on the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES in 1985 as part of the Historic Commercial Properties in Central Phoenix.  These multiple properties help document the evolution of commercial activity in downtown Phoenix circa 1880 to 1947.  The property was also listed on the PHOENIX HISTORIC PROPERTY REGISTER in 2000.

Contributions and legacies by Henry Ong, Sr.

·      First Chinese American to build and develop commercial property for rental purposes

·      First native Chinese Phoenician to own and operate an automobile

·      One of eight Chinese leaders to organize and  found the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Arizona

·      One of three Chinese community leaders to request the CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH OF PHOENIX to start a  Chinese Sunday School under the auspices of the Southern Baptist Convention, which later became a church plant and was constituted as the FIRST CHINESE BAPTIST CHURCH of Phoenix, Arizona

·      Organized a Chinese language school, with class rooms in Phoenix Chinatown, hiring Chinese teachers from San Francisco

·      Became the first person to bring his family back to China for his children’s education

·      Appointed as leader of the Phoenix branch of Kuomintang (KMT), a political activist group in support of the Chinese Nationalist government circa 1930’s.

·      Was in charge of the Chinese Relief Funds to help the Nationalist Chinese government during WW2.

·      Phoenix’s only Chinese Four Star Family,

that is four sons of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Ong, Sr., ALL SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN WW2 (1942-1946): Robert, Fred, Henry Jr. and Frank

His final community influence:

Instructions to his children that at the grave side of his funeral, to abolish the old traditions of  elder worship, such as the burning of incense, cooked chicken, and paper monies etc., only to bow reverently in front of the casket and place a flower stem on top of his casket.

Many local Chinese funerals today in Phoenix have adopted this form of funeral service.

Even with little education, Mr. & Mrs. Ong were self –taught in the Chinese language. Very few Chinese women from China at that time could read and write Chinese.  In addition, both were fluent in Spanish and native Indian tribal languages.

Henry Ong’s calligraphy was well known to people who knew him. His writings can be seen at the ONG KO MET headquarters in Phoenix (2602 N. 16^th Street).

Henry and Mar Lai Hing Ong were parents to seven children:  Sophie, Robert, Fred, Henry Jr., Frank, Joseph and Lily.  They were also grandparents to 21 grandchildren and today have various 3^rd  and 4^th generation offspring living in various parts of the country, as well as Europe and Asia.

                                                               Henry Ong (R) and  homer Zhang