Outstanding Chinese-Americans Historical

Leaders of Arizona

亞省歷史上的傑出華人 (3)  

美國首位華裔州眾議员鄧悅寧  

 張肇鴻   

鄧悅寧​​(Wing F. Ong)競選亞利桑那州眾議員  (1940'S)

鄧悅寧，又名鄧榮勳，1904年2月4日出生在中國廣東省開平縣赤坎鎮護龍鄉永安里的一個華僑家庭。他的祖父母在19世紀下半葉美國“淘金熱”時，就已經從中國移民到美國加利福尼亞州。他的父親鄧道隆也出生在加利福尼亞州。

1882年，美國國會通過了《排華法案》，禁止華人女性入境，鄧道隆成年時只能回到家鄉，與一黃姓女子結婚成家。在鄧悅寧兩歲時，其父又離別妻兒回到美國。

1918年，鄧悅寧出國，不滿15歲的他在廣州登上了一艘開往舊金山的輪船，經過三個多星期太平洋上的風浪顛簸，在1919年1月抵達了三藩市，滯留在“天使島”上的移民審查站。

根據《排華法案》，華人移民入境美國時必須受到嚴格審查。所謂“天使島”是舊金山海灣內的一個小海島，當年華人進入美國後，要進行資格甄別、檢疫審查，期限少則兩週，多則兩年。審查站的木屋裡擠滿了新移民，伙食惡劣，沒有浴室和廁所，還要接受裸體檢查。如發現新移民患有傳染病，将被驅逐回“唐山”。鄧悅寧在“天使島” 過了三個月的禁閉生活，最後在父親努力下，才得以獲准離開。這段形同牢獄的生活經歷在他心靈留下了難忘的烙印，他深刻體會到種族歧視的惡法令移民受盡苦難。

進入三藩市後鄧悅寧在雜貨店當傭工。後來又去當洗衣工。但當他獲得美國居留權後，想進入公立學校讀書時，加州一條“不會講英語的人不許進入該州公立小學”的特別法規將他擋在校門之外。他不得不離開三藩市，跟隨一個名叫鄧亨利的叔伯來到亞利桑那州的鳳凰城，開始半工半讀，並進入一間公立學校念英文。鄧悅寧非常珍惜機會，以4年時間讀完了8年小學的課程。升入中學後，又以2年時間讀完了3年的課程。上中學期間，鄧悅寧得到了一個意外的機遇，經同學介紹，利用課餘時間為時任亞利桑那州州長的坎貝爾夫婦當管家。由於他精心操持，坎貝爾夫婦對這個聰明又勤快的中國小伙子十分喜愛，在坎貝爾幫助下，鄧悅寧學到了不少政治常識以及辯論的方法，英文水平提高很快。他曾參加當年亞利桑那州舉行的學生徵文比賽，並獲得冠軍獎。兼任管家的經歷，讓他對政治有了初步認識。1925年秋，他到圖森市的亞利桑那大學求學，但因為經濟困難，只讀了一年就被迫退學。他回到鳳凰城，進入鳳凰大學攻讀。

1928年，叔伯鄧亨利與幾位老鄉合夥，購進一間負債破產的雜貨店，鄧悅寧拿出自己勤儉積蓄的380美元作資本，當上了雜貨店的老闆。在此期間，他與一個中國女移民黃玫瑰結婚後，夫婦同心協力經營雜貨生意。鄧悅寧恪守誠信，生意日漸紅火，僅兩年時間，便償還了所欠債務。再過兩年，雜貨店的經營規模由零售進而批發，生意更為興隆，鄧悅寧也因此在當地商界同仁中名聲大振。

1939年鄧悅寧參與社會活動，發動組織了鳳凰城華商總會，並當選為該會首任會長。1940年，鄧悅寧毅然踏上參政之路，他加入美國民主黨，第一次參加亞利桑那州眾議員競選，但由於經驗不足，以17票之差落選。鄧悅寧並不氣餒，他再次進入亞利桑那大學法律學院深造，用3年時間，修完了一般人需要7年的課程，取得了法律學士學位，又通過亞利桑那州的律師考試，成為當時全美僅有的八位華裔律師之一，設立了亞利桑那州第一家華裔律師事務所。他的政治訴求是希望當地的人給能他一個機會，當時鳳凰城人口接近十萬，但有登記的華人不足五百，當選要全靠西裔和墨裔選票。鄧悅寧能成為全美第一位不是在美國出生而當選成為美國州眾議員的華人，實屬不易。 1946年，42歲的鄧悅寧再次參加亞利桑那州眾議員的競選，在競選過程中，除使用華語、英語外，還用西班牙語發表競選演說，贏得了華裔同胞的支持，最終勝利當選，成為美國有史以來第一個不是在美國出生而當選為美國州眾議員的華人。

當選州議員後，鄧悅寧專門研究了美國移民法，對其中不合理的法例逐條進行分析，他廣泛聯絡美國各方面的律師，根據自由、平等、法治等原則，積極提議敦促修改美國移民法中不合理、不人道，甚至歧視華人的法例。他的提案經美國國務院專案小組研究，並在法院的支持下交由議會聽證，最後循法定程序得到通過。

1952年，鄧悅寧苦心追求的修改移民法案成功通過，美國移民局終於取消了華僑入境時必須接受禁閉審查等多條不人道的移民手續，並准許華人申請攜同配偶入境。鄧悅寧因此被人們讚譽為“促請美國修改移民法例的鬥士”。由於鄧悅​​寧政績顯著，以後他又曾二度連任亞利桑那州眾議員。 1966年，他當選為亞利桑那州的參議員。鄧悅寧在美國亞利桑那州的政壇上活躍了28年之久，深受當地華僑、華人的擁戴和讚揚。

美國歷史上第一位不在美國出生的華人州眾議員--鄧悅寧 ​​

1977年12月19日，鄧悅寧在美國亞利桑那州鳳凰城去世，終年73歲。 1983年，美國亞利桑那州州立大學教授那加沙華博士，寫了一本名叫《夏季的風：鄧榮勳傳》的書，介紹鄧悅寧的生平事蹟。亞利桑那州州長佈魯士•巴比特為該書寫了推介文章，美國國會議員巴利•戈華特為該書寫了前言。

在美國，約佔總人數百分之一強的華裔曾長期被隔離於主流社會之外。為了改變這一狀況，一代又一代的華人進行了艱苦的努力。儘管美國華人參政的道路坎坷，但許多先行者依然義無反顧，前赴後繼。直到二十世紀中葉，出現首位華裔州眾議员鄧悅寧 。為表彰其畢生致力於華人參政及維護移民權益所做出的卓越貢獻，全美亞太裔律師協會曾在2005年10月於芝加哥召開的年會上，特別向全美有史以來第一位華裔州參議員及州眾議員鄧悅寧先生頒發了“年度先驅者大獎”。歷史也將永遠銘記這位傑出的華裔參政先行者。                                                                                                                          

鄧悅寧在美國亞利桑那州的政壇上活躍了28年之久

附：鄧悅寧之女麥德琳推動以“亞裔”(Asian)取代“東方” (Oriental)

在美國实施排華法案的年份，別說提到＂中國人＂，就算現在用得十分熱門的＂東方＂一詞，人們都會遠而避之。

美國亞利桑納共和報(Arizona Republic) 2007年3月26日報導，美國亞利桑納州的一些亞裔因會聯想起以往西方人對亞裔深感疑慮的年代，而把“東方”(Oriental)視為侮辱性的字眼。但該州法令卻四度出現這個字眼，促使華裔麥德琳‧鄧-阪田(Madeline Ong-Sakata)推動以較獲普遍接受的“亞裔”(Asian)取代“東方”。

對鳳凰城《亞裔太陽新聞報》(Asian Sun-News)總編兼發行人麥德琳而言，該法案不僅是更改州法令不合時宜的字眼，她更希望藉此令民眾了解為何該字冒犯亞裔，並把該法案視為她父親60年前克服負面刻板印象的最新努力。

麥德琳的父親鄧悅寧(Wing F. Ong)1946年成為全美第一位擔任州議員的華人，這位律師兼商人20年後當選州參議員。當時二次大戰剛結束，亞裔普遍遭歧視。鄧悅寧企圖隱藏自己的口音，也從未教導出生於鳳凰城的女兒如何說中文。鄧悅寧1977年去世，但“東方”這個字眼卻留在州法令。

現年69歲的麥德琳在與亞利桑納州立大學的亞太裔學生聯盟談話後決定推動修改，她說：“大家不了解這個字的更深含義，它帶來亞裔的負面形象。每次說這個字，便感覺不舒服。”泰國與越南混血亞裔Sophia Swangaroon對這個字的負面含義感受特別強烈，因她從事復健按摩，“別人​​立刻想到東方按摩”，意指做生意到很晚的按摩院，成為族裔刻板印象的代表。這名按摩師說，她希望日常用詞不再出現“東方”這個字，從州法令刪除該字是個開始。

Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧) -- A Chinese-American Forerunner in Politics

By Homer Zhang

This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the founding of Phoenix Chinese Chamber of Commerce, but fewer people will realize Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧) was the first President of the organization and an outstanding Chinese-American forerunner in politics.  Comprising about 1% of the total population in the United States, Chinese-Americans had long been excluded from the mainstream society.  Generations of Chinese-Americans had made strenuous efforts to change the situation.  Despite the bumpy road ahead of Chinese-American politicians, many forerunners irrevocably proceeded one after another until the mid-20th century when Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧) was elected and became the first Chinese-American senior politician in the United State.

Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧), also known as Rongxun Deng (鄧榮勳), was born in Yongan Li village, Kaiping County, Guangdong Province, China, on February 4, 1904.  During the Gold Rush in the second half of the 19^th century, Wing’s grandparents came to California where his father, Daolong Deng (鄧道隆) was born.  Due to the “Chinese Exclusion Act” passed by the U.S. congress in 1882 to prohibit the entrance of Chinese laborers into U.S., Daolong Deng (鄧道隆) had to go back to China and married a woman with the surname Huang (黄).  Daolong Deng (鄧道隆) returned to U.S. when his son Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧) was two years old. Under the age of 15 in 1918, Wing boarded a ship bounding for San Francisco in the city of Guanzhou.  He waited on tables on the ship and experienced pitch and roll on the Pacific Ocean for over three weeks.  Finally, Wing arrived in San Francisco in January 1919 and unexpectedly received humiliating treatment at the Angel Island Immigration Station.  According to the "Chinese Exclusion Act", Chinese immigrants had to go through interrogation when entering the United States.  The so-called "Angel Island" at that time was a small island in San Francisco Bay, where the immigrants from China and other Asian countries received immigration eligibility screening and quarantine examination. The interrogation procedure ranged from a period of two weeks to over two years, and the supposed immigration station was actually a detention station.  It was built of wood and fully packed with new immigrants, who were treated with foul food, but without bathroom and toilet. They also had to take nude examination and be subject to deportation to where they were from once infectious diseases were found.  The interrogation process was full of discrimination and stigma and so intolerable that many immigrants committed suicide in despair.  Wing endured a life of confinement for three months on the island prior to being allowed to leave after his father made attempts.  Wing’s life on the Angel Island, tantamount to prison life, left an unforgettable imprint in the depth of Wing’s soul, and made him realize the evil decree of racial discrimination was the root of immigrants’ suffering.

Wing then started to work at a grocery store and later at a laundry in San Francisco.  When he got his residency, Wing wanted to go to the public school, but was rejected because of a California special regulation, banning people who did not speak English from attending public schools.  Wing had to leave San Francisco and came to Phoenix with his uncle Henry Ong (鄧亨利).  He began to work part time and study English in a public school there.  Wing cherished the opportunity and completed the eight-year elementary curriculum in four years; likewise, Wing completed the three-year high school curriculum in two years.  During high school, Wing got an unexpected opportunity that he was introduced by his schoolmate to work as the housekeeper for Governor Campbell.  Wing managed the housework in good order and was liked by the Governor couple for his cleverness and diligence. Wing learned a lot about politics and political debate from Governor Campbell.  His English was also improved quickly.  Wing had participated in the student essay competition held that year in Arizona, and won the                    championship prize. The part-time housekeeper experience helped Wing gain a preliminary understanding of politics, but Wing wanted to get more education.

In the fall of 1925, Wing went to Tucson and studied at the University of Arizona. Unfortunately, he had to drop out due to financial difficulties, and returned to Phoenix attending the University of Phoenix.  In1928, Wing's uncle Henry Ong (鄧亨利) and his fellow partners purchased a grocery store from the owner in debt and going bankrupt.  Wing was invited to manage the store.  Wing took out his $380 saving and invested as capital, and became one of the grocery store owners.  In the meantime, Wing married to a female Chinese immigrant named Rose Huang (黃玫瑰).  Thereafter, the couple managed the grocery business with honesty, and the business was increasingly prosperous.  Wing repaid the debt in just two year.  Two more years later, Wing's grocery business went from retail to wholesale and the business was getting more prosperous.  Wing thus became well-known among the local business colleagues.

 In 1939, Wing started to participate in social activities.  He organized and founded the Phoenix Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and was elected the first president for the organization.  In 1940, Wing decided to enter politics.  He joined the Democratic Party and run for the Arizona House of Representative for the first time.  Due to the lack of experience, he lost by a margin of 17 votes.     Wing was not discouraged.  He once again went to the College of Law at University of Arizona, and completed the law program that would require 7 years for an average person to finish.  Wing obtained a Bachelor of Law and passed the Arizona bar exam. Wing set up the first Chinese-American law firm in Arizona, and became one of the eight Chinese-American lawyers in the United States at that time.  In 1946, 42- year- old Wing decided to run for the Arizona House of Representative again.  His campaign slogan, “Give the person who knows the law a chance to participate in politics,” and his campaign speech, in Spanish in addition to Chinese and English, won him the votes from Americans and Hispanics/Latinos, Chinese and other Asian immigrants.   Wing was finally elected and became the first Chinese-American State House Representative who was not born in the United States. 

Elected as the State House Representative, Wing studied the U.S. immigration law in particular, and analyzed the unreasonable legislation article by article.  Wing made extensive contacts with American lawyers in various practices, and actively urged the revision of the irrational, inhumane and anti- Chinese legislation to reflect the principles of freedom, equality and the rule of law.  Wing’s proposal was looked at by the U.S. State Department ad hoc group, supported by the court, referred to the parliamentary hearings, and finally passed by following the legal procedures.  As Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧) succeeded in his painstaking pursuit for modifying the immigration bill in 1952, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service finally abolished the border entry interrogation, confinement, and other inhumane practices against Chinese immigrants, and allowed Chinese to apply for immigration with their spouses.   Wing thus has been commended as the fighter for urging the United States to modify immigration laws.  Due to hi significant achievements, Wing had twice been re-elected as State House Representative.  In 1966, he was elected Arizona State Senate.  Wing, active in Arizona politics for 28 years, was embraced and praised by both the overseas Chinese and Chinese-Americans in Arizona. 

On December 19, 1977, Wing F. Ong (鄧悅寧) died at the age of 73 in Phoenix, Arizona.  In 1983, Arizona State University Professor Dr. Nagasawa wrote a book about him in the title of “Summer Wind: the story of an immigrant Chinese politician” with forewords by Senate Barry Goldwater and Governor Bruce Babbitt.   In recognition of Wing’s outstanding accomplishments in Chinese politics and maintaining immigrant rights, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association awarded the “Annual Forerunner Grand Award” to Wing, the first Chinese-American who served first as State Representative and then State Senate in American history, at its annual meeting in Chicago in October, 2005.  History will always remember this outstanding Chinese-American forerunner in politics.