Heong Poo Loui

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Vital Information

Birth Place: China
Death Place: China (died after remaining there in 1934)
Spouse: Alicia Loui (née Wong Look Moy)
Occupation: Hardware store owner in Chinatown, Honolulu
Children: Fred Loui (older son), Wallace Loui, two daughters

Business in Hawaii

Hardware Store in Chinatown

Heong Poo Loui operated a hardware store in Honolulu’s Chinatown district. This was a common occupation for Chinese immigrants in Hawaii, serving both the Chinese community and broader Honolulu population.

Chinatown was the commercial and cultural center of Honolulu’s Chinese community in the early 20th century, with:

Chinese-owned businesses
Import/export operations
Close-knit immigrant community
Connections to mainland China

Family Life in Hawaii

Children

Raised four children in Honolulu:

Fred Loui - Older son
Wallace Loui - Born 1924, became thoracic surgeon
Two daughters - Later lived in California

Marriage

Married to Alicia Loui (maiden name Wong Look Moy), who emigrated from China to Hawaii after World War I.

The Fateful Return to China (1933-1934)

Family Trip

In 1933-1934, Heong Poo traveled to China with his wife Alicia and their children, including 9-10 year old Wallace. This was likely a visit to ancestral village and extended family.

Decision to Remain

After the family arrived in China, Heong Poo made the fateful decision to remain in China rather than return to Hawaii. His reasons are not documented, but possible factors:

Family obligations in China
Business opportunities
Political/social circumstances
Personal reasons

Consequences

Wife Alicia returned to Hawaii with the children
Heong Poo remained in China and died there
Never returned to Hawaii
Left Alicia to raise four children alone

Historical Context

Timing (1934)

Heong Poo’s decision to remain in China in 1934 came during a tumultuous period:

Japanese aggression: Japan had invaded Manchuria (1931) and was expanding in China
Chinese Civil War: Ongoing conflict between Nationalists and Communists
Economic instability: Global Depression affecting both China and Hawaii

Chinese Diaspora Dilemma

Many Chinese immigrants faced difficult choices:

Stay in adopted countries (Hawaii, Philippines, etc.) with economic opportunities
Return to China to fulfill family obligations or pursue opportunities
Navigate between two worlds during period of instability

Heong Poo’s choice to remain in China while his immediate family returned to Hawaii reflects these complex pull factors. The decision proved permanent and likely tragic, as he died in China without seeing his family again.

Impact on Family

Alicia’s Challenge

Left Alicia as single mother raising four children in Hawaii:

Operating or supporting the hardware business
Educating children
Maintaining household
Connecting with Chinese-American community

Children’s Path

Despite losing their father, the children succeeded:

Wallace became board-certified thoracic surgeon
Fred’s career to be documented
Daughters’ lives to be documented

Grandchildren

Through Wallace:

Michael Loui
Warren Loui - Attorney, winemaker, USC Law professor
William Loui
Ronald Loui - Computer scientist, professor
Terrence Loui (deceased)

Through Wallace’s sons, great-grandchildren include:

Nicholas Loui, Ryan Loui, Samantha Loui (Warren’s children)

Timeline

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Sources

Notes

Heong Poo Loui’s story is tragic - emigrating to Hawaii, building a business, raising a family, then making a decision to remain in China that separated him permanently from his wife and children.

The 1933-1934 trip was likely intended as a temporary family visit to China, but circumstances led Heong Poo to stay. Whether this was planned or a decision made in China is unknown. The impact on young Wallace (age 9-10) of having his father remain in China would have been profound.

The timing suggests Heong Poo may have died during the turbulent years of Japanese invasion and occupation (1930s-1940s) or possibly during the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949). The obituary notes he “died there” but gives no date.

Loui Family

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