To celebrate and remember martial arts legend Bruce Lee, plans are officially in motion to erect a bronze statue in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum is spearheading the initiative, honoring the icon who was not just a film star but also a San Francisco native, born at the Chinese Hospital on Jackson Street. "This is a long wished for and now active project," Justin Hoover of the CHSA told CBS News Bay Area. "It is time to bring our native son home."
Serving as a personal and cultural milestone for Jeff Chinn, the same Bruce Lee enthusiast who collected one of the world's largest assemblages of Lee memorabilia, the statue represents more than just recognition. Reportedly born in the same hospital 21 years after Lee and having endured bullying as a child, Chinn found solace and strength in Lee's films. "I never met him, but he actually helped me out," Chinn recalled in an interview with CBS News Bay Area. "And until my dying day, I will do my best to pay him back in any way that I can."
Beyond a mere tribute, the statue is envisaged as a cultural landmark, positioned to elicit pride and inspiration akin to what Chinn experienced watching Lee on the big screen. With the Rose Pak Community Fund jumpstarting the funding with a $50,000 contribution, an additional $200,000 is being rallied to make this dream a reality. Gorretti Lo Lui, vice president of the fund, encapsulated the sentiment: "His films are part of our family's collective memory. Having a public statue to educate about Bruce Lee in the Chinatown where he was born is both a fitting tribute and will serve as a pilgrimage destination for people across the world," she told CBS News Bay Area.
Chinn, who also became a martial arts practitioner, coincidentally started his prominent collection of Bruce Lee items at 12 years old, much in tribute to his idol. It was after being gifted a magazine featuring Lee, as chronicled in an emotional recollection reported by the SF Chronicle. Prevailing over adversity, he stated, "Bruce Lee flipped the entire world upside down and made it cool to be Chinese," in a heartfelt speech. The statue, Chinn emphasized, "is for you," referring to the late Lee, who had never witnessed the premiere of his climactic film "Enter The Dragon," having passed away a month prior.
