Lola’s Story - 80th Birthday Celebration
Narrated by: Samantha Loui (granddaughter) Occasion: Betty Chan’s 80th birthday (2015) Format: Video presentation script
Summary
Comprehensive biographical summary of Betty Chan’s life from birth (1935) to age 80 (2015), prepared as narration for video presentation at her birthday celebration.
Content Overview
Childhood and Education
- Born Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines
- Photos of young Betty, her father (with gun), mother, paternal grandmother
- Chinese school (1st-6th grade) - Chinese in morning, English in afternoon
- Girl Scout, dance performances
- St. Scholastica’s College high school and college
- Mathematics major, “home culture” minor
- Graduated 1952 (high school), 1956 (college)
- “Second Honorable Mention” - 4th in class of 70
Marriage (1957)
- Father died after graduation (1956)
- Engaged within 100 days per Chinese tradition
- Very traditional Chinese engagement ceremony with gifts
- Married 1957
- Lived in compound with 60 people (three generations)
Children
- Rose (1960) - met Warren at Stanford (1978), married, attorney
- Meg (1963) - Stanford Economics (1981)
- Louis (1965) - University of Houston, Cranbrook Architecture
- Michelle (1968) - Whittier College (1986)
All children received scholarships for college
Eastern Textile Factory (Manila)
- Payroll supervisor (supervised 4 people for 2,000 workers)
- Handled petty cash
- Husband was purchasing manager and board member
- Board split in 1967, faction sold shares
- Cesar Javier (employee) attended 80th birthday
Taipei Years (1968-1990, 22 years)
- Joined partner in business (1968)
- Children attended Dominican School and Taipei American School ($10k/year by 1986)
- Worked hard to afford expensive education
- Fil-American Association member
- Friends: Barrios family, Uytana family
- Danced folk dances at Philippine Independence Day
- Household help Guning for 26 years
Retirement in Los Angeles
- Organized parties
- Played keyboard
- Conducted choir, taught English
- Line dancing
- Reconnected with childhood friend Frances Hsu
Family Pride
- “Tyrant mother” when raising children, “mild-tempered senior” now
- Husband was “the General”
- Children are her pride
- Appreciates sons-in-law as good fathers and breadwinners
- Appreciates daughter-in-law Iris (nominated for “Letters From Iwo Jima” script)
Grandchildren
Eight grandchildren total, “all well-behaved and highly motivated”
Birthday Celebration Guests
- Sister-in-law Amy and son Alan (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Uncle Tony and Auntie Agnes (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Frances and Bernard Hsu (childhood friends)
- Barrios family (Taipei friends)
- Vivienne Uytana (daughter of Taipei friends)
- Cesar Javier (former factory employee)
Source Quality
Reliability: High
- Prepared by family members with direct knowledge
- Photos included in video presentation
- Specific dates and locations
- Multiple family members involved in preparation
- Presented at major family event with many witnesses
- Narrator is granddaughter Samantha Loui
Value
- Comprehensive life summary
- Fills gaps in “My Story” (post-WWII life)
- Documents children’s education and careers
- Shows family relationships and values
- Provides context for Loui family connections
- Documents 22 years in Taipei
- Shows intergenerational relationships
Key Information Revealed
Rose Chan Loui
- Born 1960 (making Betty approximately 25 at Rose’s birth)
- Attended Stanford University (1978-1982 approximately)
- Met Warren Loui at Stanford (he was doing MBA and JD)
- Attended NYU Law School
- Married Warren Loui
Family Timeline
- 1957: Betty married
- 1960: Rose born
- 1963: Meg born
- 1965: Louis born
- 1967: Factory board split
- 1968: Michelle born, family moved to Taipei
- 1978: Rose to Stanford, met Warren
- 1981: Meg to Stanford
- 1983: Louis to University of Houston
- 1986: Michelle to Whittier
- 1990s: Family moved to Los Angeles
- 2015: Betty’s 80th birthday
Historical and Cultural Context
- Philippines to Taiwan business diaspora (1960s-1970s)
- Cost of international education in 1980s
- Fil-American community in Taipei
- Chinese-Filipino cultural preservation
- Multi-generational family compound living
- Importance of grandchildren in Chinese-Filipino culture (“Lola”)
Related Sources
- Betty-Chan-My-Story - Earlier life and WWII experience
- Photos from video presentation (to be added to wiki)
- Stanford University records (Rose, Meg)
- Marriage records (Rose and Warren)
File Location
_assets/sources/Lolas-Story-Betty-Chan.txt