Pauline Tso's Oral History

Pauline Tso's Oral History

Pauline Tso, née Wang, introduces her early childhood in Nanjing, China, before the Japanese occupation and her father’s diplomatic missions forced them to evacuate. She describes her boat journey to, schooling in, and childhood memories of Surabaya in Java, Bombay [Mumbai] in India, and Port of Spain in Trinidad, before the Wangs settled in Los Angeles, California. Tso recalls an active social life at Los Angeles and Manual Arts High School and explains how the death of her parents prompted the President of Culver-Stockton College to offer her a scholarship. She details her campus involvement as a social member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, an “oriental” dancer with a troupe called Variety, and working with the centennial chairman to invite Eleanor Roosevelt to campus. Tso also describes her summers working in Los Angeles including as a movie extra through Bessie Loo’s agency, dating Chinese boys in Los Angeles and a white classmate in college, and graduating in 1954 with the most honors in her class.

Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project

Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project

California State University, Los Angeles

2017-05-05

Sheppard, Jennifer

Jeong, Sae Hee "Keshy"

Fong, Carolyn

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mp3

eng

Sound

Tso_Pauline_01.mp3

Phun, Juily

Tso, Pauline

South Pasadena

PT1H26M55S