Buildings often preserve histories that written archives cannot fully capture. The Austin house represents an early Chinese presence in the American South—stories that are rarely recorded in mainstream urban histories and are vital to understanding Chinese American history. Long Hui Lou, meanwhile, reflects a distinctive architectural tradition shaped by migration, remittances, and global exchange, highlighting the complexities of migration and property law. Together, these two structures form a transpacific archive of migration and family memory.
Contemporary Relevance
The Repetition of Law
More than a century after Joe Lung purchased property in Austin, debates surrounding foreign ownership of land resurfaced in Texas political discourse. In 2023, proposed legislation sought to restrict property ownership by citizens of certain countries, including China. For many Asian American communities in Texas, the proposal echoed earlier legal restrictions placed on immigrants during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Historical research into figures such as Joe Lung reveals how questions of citizenship, belonging, and property rights continue to shape American public life.
Oral History Research
AAACI is currently conducting oral history interviews with descendants connected to the Lung family and related migration networks. These interviews document:
• family migration stories between Guangdong and Texas
• memories of Long Hui Lou and the ancestral village
• experiences of Chinese American communities in Texas
• reflections on identity across generations
These recordings will become part of the AAACI Community Archive.
Documentary Research
From Homeland to Hometown
This dossier forms part of the research foundation for the documentary project: From Homeland to Hometown. The film explores how archival research, family memory, and architecture can illuminate overlooked chapters of Chinese American history. The story of Joe Lung and Long Hui Lou serves as one of the film’s central narrative threads.
Archival Materials
Research materials related to this dossier include:
• property records in Austin, Texas
• family photographs and documents
• architectural documentation of Long Hui Lou
• oral history interviews with descendants
• historical research on Chinese migration in Texas
These materials are currently being compiled within the AAACI Community Archive Project.
Timeline
1891 Texas Alien Land Law enacted
1892 Revised land law adopted
1917 Joe Lung purchases home in Austin
1917 Long Hui Lou completed in Kaiping
1965 Alien land restrictions repealed
2023 Texas foreign land ownership debate
Research Credits
Research and documentation by:
Xuhua Zhan
June Xu
Lok Yiu
Asian American Art & Culture Initiative (AAACI)
Citation：
Asian American Art & Culture Initiative (AAACI). Joe Lung Dossier. Research by Xuhua Zhan, June Xu, and Lok Yiu, 2026.
Research areas include:
• Asian American migration history
• community archives
• oral history documentation
• documentary film research
• public humanities
This project is developed in collaboration with the Austin Chinese American Network, with support from the City of Austin Heritage Grant, recognizing the importance of preserving Chinese American history in Austin.
