51 Bayard
Tai Pun Residents Association
Built ca. 1870s and remodeled in the 1950s
2024
51 Bayard
Built ca. 1870s and remodeled in the 1950s
1940s
Interview
WITH HON WAI YUEN (SECRETARY OF THE TAI PUN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION)
Interview conducted in June 2022.
Cantonese interpretation by Roxy Chang
+ Would you give me a brief introduction of yourself and your connection to Chinatown and the Tai Pun Residents Association (大鵬同鄉會)?
My name is Hon Wai Yuen.
I came to the U.S. in 1986 from Hong Kong. I left Tai Pun in China for Hong Kong when I was 10 years old and from there, came to the U.S. From 1986 – 2000, I lived in Chinatown. Now I live in Brooklyn.
I became a member of the association in 2014. I’ve been in my current position as secretary of the association from 2018 and will remain in this role until 2023. We have elections every two years, but I got special approval to be in this position from 2018 – 2023. Because of the pandemic, everyone on the list has stayed in their current position until 2023.
+ Tell me about the association. What’s the history of this association and how does it operate?
Tai Pun is a place in Shenzhen by the sea. All members are from there. Anyone who wants to be an association member can be so if they’re children of descendants or married to someone from the area. That rule applies to all men.
However, if you’re a woman from Tai Pun who marries a man outside the area, the rule doesn’t apply.
The calligraphy / banners framing the office doorway are historic. They were created by one of the hometown members who gave them to us as a gift.
Hon Wai Yuen (left) stands with Joe Chan (right), the president of the Tai Pun Residents Association at the time. Photograph taken in June 2022.
Card showing Tai Pun Residents Association officer titles and names, 2022.
The organizational member structure of the association changes every two years. The membership of our staff comes in this way: we usually select people by elections, so the roles change very often. But since 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, elections could not be held and the membership will stay on until 2023.
There are seven consultants (顧問) – see separate list of members for details. The association hosts a committee meeting (常會) every month where we report our revenue and expenditures to our membership. Here on this card showing our organizational structure, I’ve circled my name and this is the name of the current president.
In terms of the relationship of these positions, usually after people are presidents, they are upgraded to becoming a “consultant”. The first and most senior of the consultants (of which there are only seven consultants at a time) will then be upgraded to becoming an elder of the association.
Regarding the operations, every month we host a committee meeting (常會), where we report our revenue, expenditures and overall financial reporting to our members.
+ How long has the Tai Pun Residents Association been in this building? Does the association own the building?
In 1919, Tai Pun Charitable Association (大鵬慈善會) was founded. In 1983, the name was changed into the New York Tai Pun Residents Association. It has been in the same location at 47 Bayard Street. Our members contributed donations to purchase the current building in 1981, among which, the highest donor contributed $50,000.
+ When was this building purchased by the association? Have there been any major renovations or changes to the building since you acquired the building?
The building was bought in 1981 and we completed renovations in 1983. Not many changes have occurred ever since. According to the elders, from 1983 until now, there hasn’t been much change of the building itself.
This book was edited by me, Mr. Hon Wai Yuen. It describes what this hometown association was a part of. We wanted to commemorate these two people because they had contributed the most to purchasing the building. Here, we have a report of when we first moved into the building.
Hon Wai Yuen with the commemorative 100th anniversary publication of the Tai Pan Residents Association, 2022.
+ Are there any old photographs of the building?
This old photo shows the grand opening of the building [in 1983] after we purchased it.
+ Who are the current users and tenants of the building?
The first floor is rented out for commercial use – We have rented it out to New HK Cafe.
The second and third floor of the building hosts the Tai Pun Residents Association’s office. The fourth and fifth floor each have four apartments. These apartments are rented out to association members.
+ What are the requirements for becoming a Tai Pun Residents Association member?
All members of the association are from Tai Pun, a region in Shenzhen. For male heirs, their spouse and sons (once they turn 18) can join. For Tai Pun women, their spouses are not allowed to join the association.
+ What was Chinatown like decades ago, when you first arrived to the U.S.?
I arrived in the U.S. in 1986 and joined the Tai Pun Residents Association in 2014. I lived in Chinatown from 1986, first on Orchard Street, then Ludlow Street to 2000. Back then, there were a lot more new immigrants and now it doesn’t feel like there are as many people.
During the 1990s – 2000s, there were a lot more people. Walking on Mott, Grand and East Broadway, there used to be so many people you couldn’t even get a baby stroller around without apologizing. It was blocked up to Park Row. However, many people started moving out to other boroughs… A lot of immigrants have found their way to other states and have settled there.
Photograph of a photograph depicting the building’s inauguration, taken at our interview session, June 2022.
Before the pandemic, there were huge crowds in Chinatown supermarkets, but now everyone buys their groceries in Brooklyn or Flushing. Even for wedding banquets, people will go to Brooklyn or Flushing instead of Chinatown. It really feels like Chinatown is going down a path of degradation.
+ What are your fondest memories of this building?
I remember the years before the pandemic where Tai Pun Residents Association was particularly prosperous. Every August, we would host a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, where we provided $30 in assistance to seniors who are 65 years old or above. The second memory that stood out to me was our Chinese New Year celebration. Back then we would host multiple banquets in five of Chinatown’s largest Chinese restaurants — Jing Fong, Golden Unicorn, 88 Palace, House of Joy, and Happy Garden. We had 250 tables with approximately 2000 people in attendance for each banquet. It was a festive occasion where we would award $500 scholarships to students from elementary school to college, and enjoy a luxurious feast among members.
+ Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I am immensely grateful for our elders (前輩). Because of their generosity and foresight, we have 1400 graves that have been made available for association members who need help with burial at no cost. There are enough funds for yearly parties and scholarships that benefits later generations (後人). This building and the restaurant downstairs are the economic foundation of Tai Pun Residents Association that help us sustain our operations. None of this would be possible without our elders.
Association president Joe Chan plays a round of mahjong with fellow members, 2022.
Joe Chan holds one of the Tai Pun Resident Association’s publications in the association office, 2022.
51 BAYARD - TAI PAN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION - BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographs taken in 2022.