每日评论1226 告别华裔作家姚嘉為

告别华裔作家姚嘉為

上週接到美南作家协会会长也是美南新闻副社长的秦鸿钧女士来电告知姚嘉為女士去世之消息,我们都感到非常突然和悲伤,我还和妻说我们不是不久前还和她见过面吗? 人生无常，我请同仁為她刊出讣文并在报上哀悼,表示对这位老友之一份心意。

在此同时,我也立即向好友国会议员格林及市长恵特曼办公室转告此一丧讯,并告知姚女士是我们华裔社区着名作家,曾经担任华人作家协会会长,热心公益。她的着作曾获得海内外许多文学大奖. 经格林议员之交待要我代表他参加了二0二四年十二月二十二日之丧礼,并将一幅曾经在国会山庄飘扬过的美国国旗致赠给其夫婿傅依健教授，表扬她对华裔世界及社区之卓越贡献。

记得多年前在一个寒冬清晨,我和石丽东女士及已故之谭家瑜女士从休斯敦前往纽约参加了由新闻界前辈马克任主持之全美华人作家协会之成立大会,回来后召集了多位友人共同成立了美南作家协会,多年来美南新闻也為协会之发展和壮大尽力,秦鸿钧副社长曾经多次出任作协会长贡献良。

姚女士在她 “在味蕾中还乡-纪念先父姚涤民” 曾经写到她父亲参加抗日战争穿越野人山，参加远征军前往缅甸救援英军之故事，牺牲了无数国军同袍之生命,她的描述许多都是我父母逃难时之情景,也就是我的故乡云南保山龙陵之血浴战场。

姚嘉為女士从台湾来到美国,从年青岁月开始在此打拼,学业家庭之𠎀出表现是一代留学生之表率,我们也要感谢这块土地给予我们具有追求梦想之机会,同様的是她对我们华裔族裔社区和国家之奉献,是永恆不变。作為新闻媒体之工作者,我们得到诸如姚女士之支持及无数读者观眾之关懐，使美南新闻继续䇄立在美洲大陆，继续為华人记录歷史。

Farewell To The Famous Chinese Writer Chai-Wei Yao Foo

Last week we received a call from our Vice President Christina Chin. She is also President of the Texas Chinese Writers Association and she informed us that Mrs. Chai-Wei Yao Foo had passed away. We all felt very shocked and saddened. 

I reminded my wife that we had met with her not too very long ago. 

Life is impermanent. I asked my colleagues to publish an obituary for her and mourn her in our daily newspaper to express our deep affection for this old friend.

At the same time, I also immediately passed the news to our dear friend Congressman Al Green and to Mayor Whitmire‘s office, and informed them that Mrs. Foo is a very famous writer in our  community. Congressman Al Green asked to attend the funeral and present an American flag that once had flown over Capitol Hill in DC in order to recognize and praise her for her lifelong outstanding contribution to the Chinese - American community and to the world.

I remember that many years ago on a very cold winter morning, I was accompanied by Ms. Ling- Tung Shi and Helen Chang and we went to New York to attend the first Convention of the  National Chinese- American Writers Association. After the meeting, we came back to Houston and organized the Chinese-American writers Association in Texas. Since then, our Vice President of Southern News Group has continued to support the association.

Mrs. Chai-Wei Yao Foo once wrote about her father’s participation in the anti-Japanese war and the crossing of a wild mountain to join the expeditionary army in Myanmar to rescue the British soldiers. Many of her descriptions are scenes very similar to those of my parents’ escape, that is, from my hometown of Longlin in Yunan, China.

Chai-Wei Yao Foo came to the United States from Taiwan when she was at a young age. Her academic work and performance is an example of a generation of international students. 

Her dedication to our community and country is eternal. Today with her faithful support and the support of so many of our readers and audiences, Southern News Group will continue to stand in this continent.