Albert Cheng (Zheng Guohe)
In Search of Roots, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
An educator for more than thirty years, Albert Cheng worked with the San Francisco Unified School District, the California School Leadership Academy of the California Department of Education, and finally WestEd before he retired. He holds a bachelor's of science degree in life sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree in educational administration from the University of San Francisco.
Mr. Cheng began his involvement with the Chinese American community since 1966...close to 40 years ago. He currently co-chairs the governing Board of Directors of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco. He has been involved with the Center since 1988 and elected as its president for three terms. He also served as a board member of the Chinese Historical Society of America. He co-founded his family association, the Cheng Society of America...and has traced 4,703 years and 124 generations of his family history.
It is Mr. Cheng's love of genealogy that inspired him to establish a new project. In 1991 historian Him Mark Lai and Albert Cheng co-founded the In Search of Roots program to guide young Chinese Americans in their quest for roots and identity. The program involves a yearlong commitment to researching one's family history, which includes searching for and visiting one's ancestral village in China. 2006 marks the 16th year of the program. Albert continues to volunteer and leads the interns to China.
The old Chinese saying yinshui siyuan...when drinking water, remember the source...guides much of Mr. Cheng's work with the Roots program.
He is a fourth generation American. His paternal great grandfather was the first to migrate to the United States...and settled in Hawaii during the late 19th century. Mr Cheng is married to Anne Shui-chun Chen. They have two sons, Ryan Justin and Lorens Derek. They have been long time San Francisco residents.
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