Chinese American Philanthropist: Samuel K. So

This is Week 18 of AsianWeek’s salute to Chinese American Heroes, in strategic partnership with Chinese American Heroes, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to documenting the contributions of Chinese Americans to America and the world.

Ever heard of Chinese American philanthropy? In traditional Chinese thinking, philanthropy must be truly executed with total altruism. This humble belief means that a building or major donation given to charity shouldn’t have the funder’s name trumpeted all over it. Building your own reputation or legacy should have nothing to do with charity. The great Confucian scholar Zhu Zhi defined truly philanthropy when he described philanthropy as “Shan yu jen jian, bus shi chen shan” (善欲人見不是真善) which means “philanthropy intended to be seen by (other) men, is not true philanthropy.” Traditional Chinese philanthropy is conducted anonymously with very little or no public recognition. In America though, many Chinese American philanthropists follows Western traditions, and the names of the donors are carved in stone for all to see, or are listed in public documents frequently divided into groups depending on the size of their donations.

In these dark economic times, non-profit donations have dropped dramatically along with the economy. In a few years many worthy non-profits will not be around as many organizations continue to struggle for fewer and fewer dollars.

We can’t possibly include the many Chinese American philanthropists out there that exist in every community. Many will not be rich but give as much as they can. Most Chinese American philanthropists fit into this anonymous category. Whether or not they are rich or poor though the stereotype of a people just out to make money doesn’t fit these Chinese Americans.

Dr. Samuel So was previously featured for his pioneering work as a medical researcher developing treatments for Hepatitis B, a disease that especially affects Asian Americans and is a leading cause of liver cancer. His philanthropy was in creating the Jade Ribbon Campaign to immunize thousands of Chinese children each year on his own time and through his own money and money raised by donations.

Dr. Ken Fong made his name as a leader in biotechnology companies. In philanthropy he has been active in funding education, establishing the “Fong Optometry and Medical Library” at UC Berkeley, and sponsoring scientific seminars and symposia at other universities. He has also supported local performing arts, the Chinese Historical Society of America, education programs at the San Jose Tech Museum, and educational programs for disadvantaged children in China.

Joe Shoong emigrated from China when he was 20 and became one of the wealthiest Chinese American millionaires in the early 20th Century. His National Dollar Stores, like the dollar stores in today’s distressed economy, prospered during the Great Depression. Shoong gave Chinese Americans opportunities they never would have had otherwise to become managers and business professionals in his stores. He was noted for building schools and funding educational scholarships and hospitals for Chinese in America and in China. The Shoong Foundation continues his good works to this day.

Bette Bao Lord became one of the most noted and popular Chinese American writers in the 1980s and 1990s. Her news commentaries about relations between China and the United States did much to promote familiarity and ease tensions between the two countries. She and her husband, Ambassador Winston Lord, are noted as major sponsors of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the International Rescue Committee, an international relief and humanitarian aid organization.

John J. Sie was previously featured as a pioneering cable TV broadcasting executive who created “Starz Entertainment” and brought NFL games to ESPN. He and his family have donated to and created several different charitable organizations dedicated to a variety of medical, artistic, and educational causes.

For additional information about Chinese American heroes, please visit the Chinese American Heroes website at www.chineseamericanheroes.org

Today’s special mention goes to Dr. Samuel K. So. Click here for his brief biography.