Ben Fee facts for kids

Ben Fee (born Zhang Hentang/Muyun) was an American writer and labor leader. He became well-known in the Chinese communities of San Francisco and New York in the middle of the 1900s. He led the Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association. He was also a leader in the Chinese section of the United States Communist Party, a political group that believed in shared ownership and equality.

Who Was Ben Fee?

Ben Fee was born in Canton, China on September 3, 1908. His mother was known as a "bomb thrower." His father was called a "draft-dodger." Ben grew up reading books by Marx and Lenin. From a young age, he saw the unfair treatment of Chinese people in California. He believed that organized groups of workers could help solve these problems.

Early Life and Fighting for Fairness

In 1924, a restaurant in San Francisco called Almond Blossom refused to serve Ben Fee. They said it was because he was Asian. The next day, Ben returned with ten white friends. Each friend ordered a porterhouse steak, which was the most expensive item. Then, Ben walked in. The restaurant again refused to serve him for the same reason. Ben told his friends about the restaurant's policy. When they heard this, they all walked out. They left their steaks cooking and did not pay. This showed how Ben stood up against unfairness.

Helping Workers Unite

Ben Fee moved to the United States when he was 13 years old. His father was a Chinese-American interpreter. In 1934, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union hired Ben. His job was to help Chinese clothing factory workers in San Francisco organize. However, Ben also joined and supported the Communist Party. This made some people in Chinatown and the union unhappy. Because of this, the union ended his job in 1938.

Later, Ben moved to New York. He continued his work helping workers organize. In the 1940s, he was active in several groups. These included the Chinese Students Association, the Alaska Cannery Workers Union, and the Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association.

A Writer's Voice

Ben Fee quickly became an important person in New York's Chinatown during the 1940s. He wrote short stories. These stories showed what it was like to be Chinese American after World War II. Author and vaudeville producer Frank Chin often talked about Ben Fee. Chin described Ben as a mix of the American "Wild West" and traditional Chinese thinking.

Frank Chin described Ben Fee like this:

... a bareknuckled, unmasked man, a Chinaman loner out of the old West, a character out of Chinese sword-slingers, a fighter.

This description shows Ben Fee as a strong, independent person who fought for what he believed in.