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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. (en)
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