El Cerrito’s Chinese Community
The Chung Mei Home
A prominent landmark of the Chinese community in El Cerrito is the Chung Mei Home built near the intersection of Elm and Hill Streets in 1935 for boys of Chinese heritage whose parents could not take care of them. The home was built on property that once was the Heidie family dairy.
The Chung Mei Home was first located in an old wooden building in Berkeley, but had to move into larger quarters. The boys in the home, with lots of hard work, were able to raise part of the money to build a larger home. With the help of Bay Area resident, they were able to raise the remaining money to buy the property and build this new home in El Cerrito.
Under the direction of Dr. Charles Shepherd, the director and supervisor of the home, the boys turned out to be first-class students, responsible and participated in civic events as members of a marching band. Marching every school day from the home to the local schools, the boys were very courteous and careful not to disturb other residents. The boys also produced a monthly newsletter called “The Chung Mei Chronicles.” Click on the link below to browse the newsletters and glimpse the life of the boys in the home.
The home closed in 1954 and reopened in 1956 as the Western Baptist Bible College, continuing until 1974 when it became the Armstrong Preparatory School. Windrush School took over the premises in 1987 and closed in 2012. Today the site houses the Summit K2 charter school.