2534 WARRING STREET & ASIAN AMERICAN EQUALITY

This webpage will explore the intersection of the Pi Alpha Phi house and the it's role in furthering Asian American equality here at the University of California, Berkeley.

Through analysis of scholarly research, historical data, and personal interviews with alumni, I gained valuable insight on Asian American race relations and the role of the house in fostering community in the face of adversity.

Pictured left: The Pi Alpha Phi fraternity house at 2534 Warring Street

The Story of the House:

The Pi Alpha Phi house located at 2534 Warring Street has a long and extensive history within the city of Berkeley.

Acquired in 1956, this house has been the central location of Pi Alpha Phi for over half a century.¹

But it wasn't always this way... At the time of the fraternity's founding in 1929, Asian Americans faced major barriers in acquiring housing.²

According to Pi Alpha Phi National historian Richard Din, "Discrimination was rampant against those of Asian descent,"¹ especially in housing.

Above: An illustration of the Pi Alpha Phi house as pictured in the 1959 yearbook.

Racist housing practices barred many Asian Americans from renting within the area.² This proved extremely debilitating for the brothers of Pi Alpha Phi as well as the greater community of Asian American students at UCB.

According to Brian Gee, former National President of Pi Alpha Phi and grandson of Alpha class alumni Herbert Gee, many "would not rent to Chinese or Japanese people." Gee recounted, a major challenge of Asian Americans was "finding a way to get to Berkeley and having to find a house."²

Many founding members of Pi Alpha Phi lived as far as Sacramento and San Jose, and were forced to commute over an hour for school every day.²

After a tireless search for housing, the group eventually found a sympathetic German immigrant willing to rent them "a small, obscure cottage" behind her home near Sather Gate.¹ Affectionately regarded by the brothers as "Mother Tusch," she provided Pi Alpha Phi with their first place of residence within Berkeley, California.¹

Left: Mother Tusch, as pictured in 1936.

While the brothers found temporary housing through the kind benevolence of Mother Tusch, their mission to find a permanent home for their fraternity continued nonetheless.

Originally owned by the Sperry Family, former owners of a San Francisco flour mill, 2534 Warring Street was not home to Pi Alpha Phi until 1956.⁴ However, their timelines did collide previous to their purchasing of the house.

Left: The 2534 Warring Street house as pictured in the 1966 and 1962 U.C. Berkeley yearbook

During the 1930s, Tim Jang, a founding member of Pi Alpha Phi, was offered room and board in the Sperry Mansion in exchange for being a "house boy," performing domestic duties for the Sperry family.⁴ He recalled this being "a godsend" during the poverty stricken days of the Great Depression.⁵

Upon the turn of the century, housing discrimination began to lessen. According to Pi Alpha Phi alumni Sherman Gee who attended U.C. Berkeley in the 1950s, an easement of discriminatory housing practices provided many Asian Americans greater opportunities to rent and purchase homes.³

The Housing Act of 1949 marked a turning point for Asian Americans seeking housing, establishing a “goal of a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family, thus contributing to the development and redevelopment of communities and to the advancement of the growth, wealth, and security of the Nation.”⁶

Following the easement of discriminatory housing practices, Pi Alpha Phi was able to move into it's current house of residence in 1956.⁶ Additionally, by bizarre stroke of luck, it happened to be the Sperry Mansion that formerly employed founding member of Pi Alpha Phi, Tim Jang.⁵

Right: An aerial view of the house via Google Maps

At this point, the fraternity had become established enough to form the Pi Alpha Phi Alumni Board of Directors, who contributed generous loans to ensure the purchasing of the house.¹ In a 2020 essay by Mr. Din detailing the history of the fraternity, he stated, "Almost 70 years after the purchase, our student members live and study in the house that Tim once called home in the 1930s."⁴

Right: The Pi Alpha Phi house as pictured in 2007

While the UC Berkeley Chapter of Pi Alpha Phi was recently rendered defunct, the Pi Alpha Phi house still remains. While now being rented out as low-cost housing to UC Berkeley students (such as me! I live here!), Mr. Din asserts that Pi Alpha Phi is sure to be back following a temporary pause after the pandemic.¹

"Our hope is that in a couple years, we will be able to move back in to the house."¹

While it may no longer be currently in use by Pi Alpha Phi, the house at 2534 Warring Street continues to be used by UC Berkeley students in need of housing, and its rich history and legacy still remains.

Establishing Historical Context:

According to 1930 census data, the city of Berkeley was overwhelmingly Caucasian, accounting for a whopping 94% of the population.⁸ Furthermore, Asian Americans only comprised about 4% of U.C. Berkeley total enrollment.⁹

As described by Brian Gee, this bred a persistent "undercurrent of racism" perpetuated against those of Asian descent.²

As previously mentioned, Asian Americans faced significant discrimination in this era both legally (restricted housing, denial of naturalization, etc.) and socially. Social life at U.C. Berkeley remained largely segregated, and Asians often found themselves excluded.⁹

Above: U.C. Berkeley in the 1930s.

As a result of this exclusion, some Asian Americans took the initiative to form clubs such as the Chinese Students' Club and Chinese Student's Association. Formed in 1902, this club offered Asian Americans the ability to form a community of similar heritage and shared experience.⁹

These clubs accepted students of all origins, fostering a mix of "Chinese ABCs (American Born Chinese)" as well as those born overseas.³ Many members of Pi Alpha Phi were active in this club such as Sherman Gee, who was even elected President of the Chinese Students Club and the Chinese Student' Association.³

Above: An excerpt from The Daily Californian, October 20th 1910.

Right: The Chinese Students' Club as shown in the 1928 yearbook, including future founding members of Pi Alpha Phi such as Wing Chan and Tom Dong.

While clubs and organizations such as these did exist, Asian American men attending U.C. Berkeley still found themselves continually excluded from a seemingly essential facet of the college experience itself: brotherhood in a fraternity.

For many Asian Americans (such as Pi Alpha Phi founding member Elmer Leong), their only experience within fraternities were being employed as "houseboys" doing laundry, cooking and cleaning for the house.⁶ It was Leong's knowledge of the inner workings of fraternities that allowed him to successfully establish Pi Alpha Phi shortly after in 1929.⁴

Pi Alpha Phi is regarded as the first Asian American fraternity in the nation. The fraternity was established on February 1st, 1929, declaring its purpose to "Encourage higher scholastic achievements in the Light of Truth, and to promote that Bond of Brotherhood."⁷

Left: The original Pi Alpha Phi Constitution of 1929, and a photo of the brothers of Pi Alpha Phi circa 1933.

Although being active since it's founding, Pi Alpha Phi was not accepted into the Interfraternity Council until well in the 1940s.⁷ This was seen by the founders as a "large achievement, as the fraternity was recognized on the same level as other fraternities on campus."⁴

"With World War II came burdens in finances and resources, as well as the social stigma of being an Asian group amidst a nation afflicted with the 'Yellow Peril,' and the fraternity experienced declining membership.

Additionally, young men were sent to work on the war effort instead of to college...."⁴

Right: Brothers of Pi Alpha Phi as seen in the yearbook, 1949.

"But the group did survive, adding the phoenix to the crest to symbolize the rebirth of the fraternity after the war."⁴

Right: The Pi Alpha Phi crest following the addition of the Phoenix

Below: A photograph of the brothers of Pi Alpha Phi from the 1930s.

In an era plagued by Anti Asian sentiment, the brothers of Pi Alpha Phi persisted, providing a shining example of Asian American pride and unity.

Left: A photograph by Dorthea Lange, depicting fear over anti-Asian discrimination. Taken in Oakland, California in 1942.

As told by the Pi Alpha Phi website, Asian American fraternities and sororities were initially "Created as support groups for small ethnic minorities (Chinese or Japanese) on predominantly White college campuses. They mirrored their White counterparts by adopting Greek letters, forming a chapter, incorporating secret rituals, and developing their own traditions."⁷

Asian Greek organizations such as Pi Alpha Phi allowed Asian Americans the opportunity to foster invaluable friendship, support, and community, in an environment that historically excluded them.

Above: The passage of time cannot stop brotherhood! The brothers of Pi Alpha Phi as seen in the 1940s and over 50 years later in 1999.

Although not explicitly an institution of political advocacy, the mere existence of Pi Alpha Phi in the time of its founding was a bold political statement in itself. In an era of injustice and white domination, the founders of Pi Alpha Phi were able to build their own community of friendship and brotherhood, rejecting normative constructs of the era.

From discriminatory Asian exclusion birthed Asian inclusion, with the establishment of their own fraternities, sororities, and social clubs for those of fellow heritage (and others, these organizations welcome all!) to come together in camaraderie and support for one another.

"Tim S. Jang, the last surviving Founder, passed away in 2007, but not before seeing the fraternity he helped create expand into many states outside of California."⁴

60 years after the founding of the fraternity in U.C. Berkeley, Pi Alpha Phi began expanding to other college campuses, and the first National Convention was convened in 2000, uniting all chapters of Pi Alpha Phi across the nation.⁴

As of today, Pi Alpha Phi has 11 active chapters across the nation in schools such as San Francisco State University, U.C. San Diego, U.C. Irvine, University of Arizona, and University of Michigan.⁷

Above: Snapshots taken of the U.C. Berkeley Pi Alpha Phi chapter visiting their brothers at the University of Michigan.

Today, the legacy of Pi Alpha Phi still lives on through the unceasing bond of friendship shared between the brothers of all chapters across the country.

Although race relations have significantly improved since the era of Pi Alpha Phi's founding, longstanding stereotypes held against Asian Americans continue to exist.

Today, the belief of Asians as a "model minority" holds many Asian Americans to unrealistic academic standards, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic (dubbed "China-flu" by former President Trump) caused many the public to harbor racist misconceptions regarding Asian Americans once again.

Left: While there has been great progress, Asian Americans equality has not yet been achieved. These photographs depict examples of widely held racial stereotypes perpetuated against Asian Americans.

Above: A screengrab of a 2020 posting from the Pi Alpha Phi National blog regarding AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate.

The advocacy of Pi Alpha Phi in Asian American equality continues even almost a century after it's founding:

The National Organization of Pi Alpha Phi released statements regarding these harmful stereotypes, stating "Pi Alpha Phi Fraternity is committed to ending bullying and hate in the AAPI community and is proud to join this movement."¹⁰

Although there is much work to be done, Pi Alpha Phi continues to play a role in progressing racial justice.

Through the formation of an unprecedented Asian American fraternity, Pi Alpha Phi played a major role in progressing Asian American equality at U.C. Berkeley. The integration of Asian interest fraternities allowed for greater, more diverse participation within student participation and social life within the University. In doing so, they rejected the construct of Asian stereotypes and instead forged their own identity of what it means to be an Asian American.

Above: Some of the fraternity's founding members (Wing Chan and Tom W. Dong) posing with friends circa 1933.

Why Does This Matter?

"Local community can greatly benefit our well being and can increase our contentment in day-to-day life."¹²

Throughout history, a shared community amongst those ostracized by normative society has proven to be extremely beneficial. Through these communities, those designated as "outsiders" are provided a safe place to convene in friendship and support with one another.

Not only can these communities propagate lasting friendships and connections, they also enable greater prosperity and upwards mobility. According to research conducted by the J Rank Law Library, "Ethnic identification and membership have been linked to most aspects of human existence in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries... It is often said to predict educational and professional outcomes, networking opportunities, economic status, living conditions, partner selection, and marital success."¹¹

This proved exceedingly true for Richard Din, who met lifelong friends, future business partners, and even his wife through Pi Alpha Phi!¹

Top left: The brothers of Pi Alpha Phi in the 1970s.

Top right: A silly snapshot of fraternity life in the 1960s.

Left: A brother of Pi Alpha Phi and his wife and children attending a reunion picnic.

Studies surrounding platonic friendships and community have demonstrated that friendships best flourish under conditions of major structural change and living at odds with common social norms.¹⁴ In the case of the brothers of Pi Alpha Phi, it happened to be both.

For many, moving away to college (let alone a foreign country, as some members of Pi Alpha Phi were born outside of the United States) constitutes a major structural change in one's life. College represents a crucial turning point within the transition of youth to adulthood. Without an established sense of community, it is easy for one's identity to feel fragmented, isolated, or dejected.

"Having a sense of community unites us. Being a part of a community can make us feel as though we are a part of something greater than ourselves. It can give us opportunities to connect with people, to reach for our goals, and makes us feel safe and secure."¹²

Left: Since it's purchase in 1956, it is more than likely that many a birthdays have been celebrated in the kitchen of the Warring house.

Right: Friends and brothers of Pi Alpha Phi gather in the living room, likely after a social or formal event in the 1980s.

For Pi Alpha Phi, the house at 2534 Warring Street represented the hub of their community.

As told by Brian Gee, "The house was the center of our own little community… Obviously it meant something very different to the founders, who saw it as more of a victory against discrimination… For me it was a space where I could find people I could relate to and had similar experiences."

Above: The brothers engaged in various shenanigans at the Pi Alpha Phi house. From goofy moments with brothers, placing the fraternity letters above the door, and even digging a garden in the backyard, their heartfelt friendship remains glaringly evident!

Additionally, establishing an ethnic community has proved integral in retaining distinct ethnic culture in the face of dominating societal norms. According to the book The Art of Crossing Cultures by Craig Storti, individuals removed from familiar surroundings and systems have an increasingly high chance of assimilating to the dominant culture.¹³

Storti goes on to explain, "This type of assimilation is often most associated with individuals who live in predominantly majority environments or ethnic minorities who attend majority educational institutions."¹³

Luckily for many, the Pi Alpha Phi house presented a space for those of similar cultures and heritages to join together in solidarity. The fraternity routinely participated in the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, showcasing Asian American traditions by participating in events such as the Chinese New Year dragon dance.¹ The Chinese New Year dragon dance is a traditional performance of ushering in good luck and prosperity in the new lunar year.

Furthermore, Pi Alpha Phi has also participated in the Jade Ribbon Campaign to reduce AAPI medical disparity through raising awareness of the increased risk of Hepatitis B and liver cancer for those of Asian heritage.

Pi Alpha Phi's continual effort to participate in Asian tradition and raise awareness of pertinent issues affecting AAPI not only demonstrates great cultural pride, but also great care for their community.

Above: Pi Alpha Phi's tradition of dragon dancing exemplifies cultural pride in the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade.

Through establishing shared community, members of Pi Alpha Phi are able to engage in camaraderie while still retaining their culture of origin. This not only provides familiarity and comfort, but allows long-held customs, practices, and traditions to live on in newer generations rather than being left behind.

To this day, Pi Alpha Phi continues their tradition of retaining a strong, tightly-knit community through their annual reunion picnics.

Above: Enduring friendship and brotherhood can be seen at various Pi Alpha Phi reunion Picnics throughout the years.

Founded in a hostile environment of discriminatory social norms, the founders of Pi Alpha Phi were able to establish their own community with shared experience and cultural values, forming life-long friendships that continue to enrich the life of many, and connect multiple generations through a common sense of brotherly loyalty.

What Can This Tell us about U.C. Berkeley and American Culture?

Through the legacy of Pi Alpha Phi and it's role in progressing racial equality, we gain valuable insight on the history of UC Berkeley as an institution.

It is worth noting that while a school of such liberal reputation, this did not come to fruition until the 1960s during the Free Speech Movement. This was proven evident through the racist practice of housing exclusion, segregated social life, and incredibly low diversity amongst UCB and the surrounding residential areas.

Below: U.C. Berkeley in 2003.

Above: A picture all too familiar: first day of Fall semester in U.C. Berkeley, 2021.

Prior to the FSM, student life at Berkeley was said to remain relatively apolitical. As told by Sherman Gee, at the time of his attendance in the 1950s, Cal students appeared reportedly "apathetic," and that even within Pi Alpha Phi, "Racial justice was a phrase unknown in the fraternity at the time. It’s more a political term that never entered our life as Cal students."³

Echoing similar sentiments, Brian Gee recounted that during his attendance in the 1980s, the state of Asian American race relations was rather forgettable as well.²

One can interpret this in two ways:

As racial injustice becomes more apparent and amplified, Berkeley students become increasingly more vocal.
Both Sherman and Brian Gee attended UC Berkeley at a time with relatively stable race relations (neither good nor bad, although I am sure the 1980s fared better towards Asian Americans than the 1950s).

Whether the lack of outright political activity during both their attendance testifies to an improving state of race relations or a momentary pause in cultural upheaval is unbeknownst to us. Yet, unbeknownst to both Sherman and Brian Gee, both were participating in a political act in of itself by harboring Asian American community in a white dominant society.

Left: Sherman Gee pictured at the annual Pi Alpha Phi reunion picnic with Herbert Gee, member of the Pi Alpha Phi Alpha class and grandfather of Brian Gee.

While the active chapter may be gone, the Pi Alpha Phi house still remains, a shining symbol of injustice and forming community in the face of adversity.

Even as the journey towards Asian American equality continues, the house still remains, as a reminder of the sacrifice those before us gave in order to achieve the progress we have made today.

This house and the memories made within it (all the socials held in the living room, and the birthday cakes shared in the kitchen) played an integral role in establishing a home for those who felt excluded and isolated. It played an invaluable role in forging friendship, support, and Asian American pride here at U.C. Berkeley.

Right: An illustration of the Pi Alpha Phi house and it's address as featured in the 1959 yearbook.

It is so fascinating to me that I live in a house with such a rich and extensive history. Being of Asian American heritage myself, I found this topic extremely interesting and eyeopening to the unfortunate history of discrimination within the University and city. I am so lucky to live in a house with great historical significance and consequence in progressing racial justice, promoting community, and advancing Asian American interest here at UCB.

This project has made me proud to live in this house and proud on behalf of the Asian American community. To see through photographs the memories created in this house and to hear personal experiences from the alumni was truly a wonderful experience.

If these walls could talk, I'm sure they'd tell me

so many stories...

Special thanks to Brian Gee, Richard Din, and Sherman Gee for being willing to talk to me about their experiences in Pi Alpha Phi.

Also, huge shoutout to Brian Gee for providing me with so many amazing photographs of the house and Pi Alpha Phi via his flickr account!

Works Cited:

Olivia Tai. Interview with Richard Din. Personal, via Google Meet, April 13, 2022.
Olivia Tai. Interview with Brian Gee. Personal, via Zoom, April 13, 2022.
Olivia Tai. Interview with Sherman Gee. Personal, via Email, April 15, 2022.
Richard Din. “Current Alpha Chapter Pledge Book History.” Project Legacy Archive, 2020.
Tim Jang. “Letter to the Pi Alpha Phi Inaugural Convention,” 2000.
Matthew D. Lassiter, and Susan C. Salvatore. “Civil Rights in America: Racial Discrimination in Housing.” The National Historic Landmarks Program, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/upload/Civil_Rights_Housing_NHL_Theme_Study_revisedfinal.pdf.
“History of Pi Alpha Phi.” Pi Alpha Phi, 2022. https://www.pialphaphi.com/history.
“Census of the City of Berkeley.” City of Berkeley -- 1890 to 1940 census data. Federal Census Bureau, 1940. http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/Berkeley40.htm.
Miranda Jiang. “Japanese and Chinese Student Organizations at Berkeley from 1900 to 1946; Finding Community in the Face of Exclusion,” 2020. https://150w.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/jiang_japanese_chinese_orgs.pdf.
“Pi Alpha Phi Marks Second Annual AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate.” Pi Alpha Phi, May 20, 2020. https://www.pialphaphi.com/post/pi-alpha-phi-marks-second-annual-aapi-day-against-bullying-and-hat.
J Rank Law. “Ethnic Variation/Ethnicity: Origins and Importance of Ethnicity.” Origins And Importance Of Ethnicity - Gender, Family, History, Development, Families, and Individuals - JRank Articles, 2020. https://family.jrank.org/pages/460/Ethnic-Variation-Ethnicity-Origins-Importance-Ethnicity.html#:~:text=Ethnic%20self%2Didentification%20and%20membership,twentieth%20and%20twenty%2Dfirst%20centuries.
“The Importance of Having Strong Communities.” Dunmore Borough Pennsylvania, June 5, 2019. https://dunmorepa.gov/news/importance-strong-communities/.
Craig Storti. The Art of Crossing Cultures. Vol. 2. Memphis, TN: Intercultural Press, 2007.
Jeffrey Weeks, Gerhard Boomgaarden, Brian Heaphy, and Catherine Donovan. Same Sex Intimacies: Families of Choice and Other Life Experiments. Routledge, 2001.

A project by Olivia Tai

Amerstd 102, Spring 2022

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