A Brief Biography of Him Mark Lai

區維業撰
translation by Piera Kwan

By Weiya Ou

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Him Mark Lai was born in San Francisco, California on November 1, 1925. At the age of five, he began Chinese school, attending San Francisco Chinatown’s Nom Kue School (南僑學校), founded by the Nom Hoy Fook Yam Society (南海福蔭堂). At age six he began public school at Commodore Stockton Elementary School, now Gordon J. Lau Elementary.  Attending the University of California, Berkeley, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1947. While he pursued a vocation in engineering, Him Mark Lai early on showed a great aptitude in history, winning, while yet in high school, First Prize at a San Francisco city-wide history contest.

In the early 1960s, Him Mark Lai took night courses in history at the University of California, Berkeley extension program, and, inspired by the instructor, Stanford Lyman, became interested in pursuing Chinese American history.  He joined the Chinese Historical Society of America, and began the work that would accumulate vast amount of research data on Chinese American history. His research again and again bears fruit. Not only has he published many historical articles and books, he has curated several exhibits, and has taught courses in Chinese American history at San Francisco State University and the University of California, Berkeley.  
Focused on using his historical knowledge to serve the community, Him Mark Lai in 1973 also joined the Chinese Culture Center.  For the CCC he developed an exhibit, Two Centuries of Struggle and Achievement: The Chinese of America 1785-1980 《甘苦滄桑兩百年》which then traveled to China. For many years, Him Mark Lai has acted as the historical and geographical advisor for CCC’s “In Search of Roots” Program, enabling many young native-born Chinese Americans to find out about their family history and genealogy in China.

Beginning in 1953, Him Mark Lai was also employed as a Mechanical Engineer for the Bechtel Corporation, in the field of nuclear and fossil-fuel plants.  In 1984 he decided to retire in order to concentrate his energies full time to historical research.  Him Mark Lai has served on the board and three times as President of the Chinese Historical Society of America, and on the board and as chair of the Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco.  He continues to contribute to the preservation and interpretation of Chinese American history and culture.



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