ong joined his uncle and cousins in the family business. however, his true passion was to become a lawyer someday. in 1927, his uncle, henry, arranged a traditional chinese marriage to sixteen-year-old rose wong, a girl who ong had never met. his first encounter with his future wife was the same day that she arrived from china. the arranged wedding required a pact between both participants. he promised to help her brother and sister immigrate to the united states and she promised to support him in his goal to become a lawyer.