This collection contains 7 items related to clothing drives and fundraising efforts organized by the New York City-based Chinese Women's Association to help Chinese war refugees during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). In two printed form letters, the association stressed the urgency of the situation in China, requested assistance from "China's sympathizers in America," and specifically referenced the necessity of food and clothing (November 1, 1937 and undated). Three undated postcards, two of which are addressed to Mrs. C. C. Morrison of Granville, Ohio, have preprinted messages asking for pledge to boycott Japanese products (1 item) and for donations of clothing and medical supplies (2 items). Two additional items contain reprints of three newspaper articles about the association's fundraising efforts; these include "Racial Group Breaks Precedent" (The New York Times, April 11, 1937), "Hope for China Seen in Women" (North Shore Daily Journal, January 12, 1938), and "Church Service League Will Aid China Refugees" (North Shore Daily Journal, January 12, 1938).
The Chinese Women's Association of New York City was formed in 1931 to serve the local Chinese community, a population of roughly 10,000 individuals. By 1936, the organization had more than 350 members, who helped organize dinners and receptions for distinguished Chinese guests and established classes in English, among other activities. As military conflicts between China and Japan worsened through the 1930s, the association more strongly emphasized fundraising efforts to assist Chinese war refugees, soliciting both monetary and in-kind donations, particularly of clothing and medical supplies. Theodora Chan Wang, a social worker and graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University, served as the group's president from at least 1937 to 1938.
