The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board has awarded the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association with the 2012 Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgia’s History.
Members of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Kathy Rufo, Raymond Rufo, Truman Woo, Travis Tom, and Benny Tam collaborated on a project which collected 26 oral histories recounting the Chinese-American experience in Augusta, Georgia. This was the first oral history initiative by the community organization, and copies of the recordings were donated to the Augusta Public Library for public access and use. The project received funding from the Georgia Humanities Council.
Focusing on the more senior members of the Chinese-American community, interviewees recounted what life was like for Chinese in Augusta in the 1950’s, their experiences in school and civic life, the businesses and social structure of Augusta in which Chinese Americans owned and operated businesses, and reflected on the Augusta riot of 1970 which affected a number of their businesses. A DVD was made of each digital recording along with related pictures. This oral history project is an outstanding example of capturing and preserving Georgia’s History.
Source: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association