Chang Apana

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Chang Apana (December 26, 1871-1933) was a Chinese-Hawaiian police officer in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the officially-acknowledged inspiration for the fictional Asian detective character, Charlie Chan.

Ah Ping Chang was born in Waipio, Oahu, Hawaii. His family moved back to China when he was only three, but Chang returned at the age of ten to live with his uncle in Waipio. As an adult, Chang was literate in Hawaiian, and knew pidgin English and Chinese as well. In his youth, he worked as a cowboy, starting in 1891. Three years later, Chang started working for the Hawaii Humane Society, founded by Helen K. Wilder, the owner of the horses that Chang handled professionally.

In 1898, Chang joined the Honolulu Police Department. Instead of a gun, Apana carried a horsewhip. In his early years as a detective, beginning in 1916, Chang worked against opium-smuggling and illegal gambling. Due in part to his fluency in several languages, his wide network of informants and because of his shrewd and meticulous detective style, Chang was successful in solving many cases. Over the years, he received a number of scars to his face, fighting with criminals. He also became famous for his whip, Panama hat and cigars. He was married three times.

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[edit] Charlie Chan

Earl Derr Biggers was vacationing in Hawaii when he read about the exploits of 'Chang Apana' in the local newspapers (Apana is the Hawaiianized version of his Chinese name Ah Ping). Inspiration came to the writer, and the popular mystery detective was born. In 1925, the first Charlie Chan mystery novel was published, House Without a Key. The character quickly became popular. After five more novels, Derr Biggers publicly acknowledged Chang as the inspiration for his character in a letter to the Honolulu Advertiser dated June 28, 1932.

Chang and Chan had a number of similarities:

  • both had a daughter named 'Rose'
  • both were about the same age
  • they each had lived in the 'Punchbowl' (Punchbowl Crater) area of Honolulu
  • both were of Chinese descent

[edit] Chang's retirement and death

After 34 years of service, Apana had to retire in May 1932 as a detective when he was injured in a car accident. He briefly worked as a watchman for the Hawaiian Trust building. He died the next year (the same year as the 'Charlie Chan' author) on December 8, after a long illness. Chang Apana is buried at the Manoa Chinese cemetery in Honolulu.

[edit] External links

[edit] Further Resources

  • Doherty, Jim, "Will the Real Charlie Chan Please Stand Up," Just the Facts - True Tales of Cops & Criminals (Deadly Serious Press, 2004)
  • Hyung-chan Kim, Editor-in-Chief, Distinguished Asian Americans, A Biographical Dictionary, Greenwood Press (1999), pp. 18-19.