Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS) brings you a special interview with guest host Debbie Chin Murray. Debbie recently sat down with veteran journalist and author Willian Gee Wong, also known as “Bill" Wong, to discuss his newest book, Sons of Chinatown: A Memoir Rooted in China and America. 

William Gee Wong, a native of Oakland’s Chinatown, is a seasoned print journalist and author. He earned a BA from UC Berkeley and an MS from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. His career includes notable positions at The Wall Street Journal and The Oakland Tribune and contributions to various publications. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, he also worked as a regional commentator for PBS’s NewsHour. He authored Yellow Journalist and co-wrote books on Oakland’s Chinatown and Angel Island.

Debbie Chinn Murray, a fourth-generation Oakland Chinatown native, grew up in the 1960s hearing her father’s Hoisan dialect and was influenced by her Caucasian mother from the American South. A dedicated community volunteer, she serves with the Asian Youth Services Committee (AYSC), which her father, Walter Chinn, founded in 1990. After 20 successful years as a Silicon Valley executive, Debbie transitioned to teaching music and focusing on documenting her family’s history and her father’s impact on Oakland.