Part II The History of Jue Joe Ranch - Otto Brant; Free Zoom event; The Museum SFV History of Speaker Series

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley, as part of its History of Speaker Series is pleased to present Part II The History of Jue Joe Ranch.

Date:  Saturday, September 26, 2020

Time:  Noon - 2:00 pm   (Learn about history during lunch!)

Cost:   Free * 

(*we would appreciate a $10 donation to support interview, video editing and coordination of this program - via PayPal or website)

Part II will be highlighting the relationship between Jue Joe and Otto Brant.

Excerpt from Jack Jue's blog...

One of the fascinating stories in the Jue Joe saga is his friendship with Otto Brant. We have followed Jue Joe's story up to Los Angeles where he is employed as a house boy on a wheat ranch in Chatsworth in 1893. 

In that same year, Otto Brant and his friend O.P. Clark founded the Title Insurance and Trust Company in Los Angeles which is destined to become the largest Title insurance company in the United States. How does a poor Chinaman who is a houseboy on a wheat ranch, meet up with and become fast friends with a wealthy Title insurance president? I do not have the answers, but I do have Otto Brant's life story which makes their association even more difficult to understand. Family oral history has Otto and Jue Joe becoming friends when they are both poor and both on the way to Los Angeles. If we follow Otto Brant's life story during the same years as Jue Joe this becomes very difficult to believe. There is ample documentation in real estate deeds and family oral history that Otto and Jue Joe were associates and friends but why or how that friendship developed is something I do not understand.

“Descendant of the 2nd emperor of the Song Dynasty (Zhao Gunagyi), Jue Joe was born and raised in a chicken coop, in 1860. He grew up dirt poor and vowed that his descendants would never suffer as he had. So at the age of 14 he sailed alone to California, working as a cabin boy, and jumped ship in San Francisco. He sailed with 16 lbs of rice and landed with 1/4 lb left. So he went to the Chinese Six Companies for help. They sent him to St. Helena and Marysville to work the vineyards. Then he found work on the Southern Pacific Railroad. In the Mojave Desert he met Otto Brant who was hoboing his way to L.A. They became friends and together hoboed to that destination. According to San Tong, Jue Joe learned business from Otto Brant and what land and water would mean to future settlers of the L.A. Basin. “ – written by Auntie Soo-Yin.

In 1913, California passed a law that forbid aliens (Non-Americans) from purchasing land in the state. The openly racist ALIEN LAND ACT was aimed at a growing and prosperous Asian population whose success threatened white hegemony in the Golden State.

But Chinese born Jue Joe was friends with the very powerful Otto Brant. The fascinating story of how Otto Brant helped his Asian friend purchase land, in spite of the restrictive law.

Franky Ortega, educator and historian of the SFV and WWII history tying in the valley will present.

Free to all Museum members and guests.

A $10 suggested donation would be appreciated to support YOUR Museum with the cost of video editing and organizing this programming. You can go to our website at www.TheMuseumSFV.org to make a donation on PayPal.

Presentation and Q&A session to follow.

Please RSVP on EVENTBRITE HERE.  You can also

ZOOM LINK HERE:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84260555591?pwd=ZUR4eGhhekNGNlhRRmtXRlB6QXk0QT09

Meeting ID: 842 6055 5591

Passcode: 570354

Thank you.