Sampan talks with Dr. Bobby Guen of the North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament ahead of Sept. 3-5 event.
Nearly a century ago, the Immigration Act of 1924 had basically shut down immigration from Asia to the United States. No Asians were eligible for citizenship and those who were in the U.S. could neither enter nor leave the country. By the late 1930s, the only thing a typical Chinese laborer — mostly in laundry or restaurants — in Chinatown could do was keep working. He was basically trapped. Recreation was limited, along with the facilities of the Chinatown YMCA.
Thus, the 9 man Chinese American volleyball games were born. The games were affordable for most of the residents of the community who were very poor. It was harder, rougher than traditional American volleyball. Historically, 9 man volleyball was played by new Chinese immigrants who had come from Toisan city in China’s Guangdong province. The only necessities were a net, two poles, and a volleyball. Of course, any team lacking these requirements could always improvise by putting up a rope or piece of string. The boundaries of the court could be drawn on the outside dirt ground with a stick and a ball could be made from cloth.
Now, the 77th annual North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament will continue the tradition. Slated for this Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 3-5, 2022) at the Rhode Island Civic Center in Providence, the event will include over 120 men and women’s teams from Chinese American communities across the U.S. and Canada, continuing this rich tradition of resilience, innovation, and cultural identity. The event, running from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, is free and open to the public. For those who cannot make it to Providence, this year’s event will be streamed live (for the first time) on ballertv.com
The first tournament competitions in Boston were intramural occasions due to lack of players. They were more social events than definitive battles between established entities. One half played the other half. Soon, the popularity of these games in Boston’s Chinatown reached Providence. The games promoted understanding, friendship, and collaborative cooperation between the Chinese communities in the northeastern United States through the early days. Air travel was financially prohibitive, so the focus was Boston, Providence, New York, and Newark.
By 1943, after Congress repealed the provisions of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, and especially after the 1946 passage of the War Brides Act, immigration flowed more freely and eventually a newer generation arose. Dr. Bobby Guen, current President of the North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament, recently sat down for an interview with this reporter and reflected on the past, present and future of this rich tradition in Boston’s Chinatown history.
SAMPAN: How and when did you get involved? How has it grown from when you started to where it is now?
GUEN: “I was born in 1954 in Chinatown, moved to Allston Brighton, and started coming back to Chinatown in 1969 to hang out with my cousins and Chinese friends…Within the Chinese community in Boston Chinatown, a lot of the fathers worked. They worked in restaurants, laundries…The fathers were never around. The mothers ran the households….
9 man volleyball was already big by that time on the east coast. “Reggie Wong, who started The Knights organization for the young kids Chinese American kids, decided that they would be the first American born Chinese (Jook Sing) club playing 9 man volleyball.”
The Knights has flourished since 1961, with many generations of young American born Chinese keeping the tradition alive. The biggest points of pride with the Knights is tradition and heritage. Members are recruited from the high schools in and around Boston and they span more than a few generations. Reggie instituted the first female teams in 1976 and presently the Knights are fielding two. Now we have women on the national committee who help run the tournament.
When Reggie died in 2011, there was a huge void locally and nationally. I took it upon myself to form a committee to build this organization that became the NACIVT. This included myself, Mr. Harry Aue from Boston Hurricanes, Eddie Chan and Jennie Yi from Toronto, and many others…Wally Li is now the senior on the circuit. He’s been playing since the 1960’s
SAMPAN: What can we expect from this year’s competition?
GUEN: “Well, it’s exciting. This will be my first as Director, and my co-director Harry Aue has been at it since 1972. Right now, we’re doing the finishing touches on a three day extravaganza. We have 72 men’s teams…60 women’s teams. We have 18 courts, 10 for the men and 8 for the women. Part of that separation is because women play the 6 person game that you see on TV while the men have 9 players on the court. 6 person volleyball is very predictable, in my eyes. 9 man, with more people, has more options…faster, more intense. Once you see it you’ll understand the differences.
SAMPAN: “How important is it for Chinese Americans in Chinatown and all Bostonians to keep recognizing this tradition? Has it bounced back fully from COVID? What are your hopes for the future?
GUEN: “Even though we are located in Providence, the Boston Chinese community has really stepped up. This includes the CCBA (Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.) They’ll be there hosting a community room where people coming down from Boston to meet old friends can go there and socialize…We have dynamic young players that will make sure this thing keeps going in some form. The interest is huge, including a strong showing from Chicago. It’s up to my generation to maintain this tradition. It’s important!
