Reader
&
Audience Reactions
"Sweet
and Sour"
The
Sweet Taste of History
Alex Stewart
Each
time
John Jung comes to the (San Diego Historical) museum to present his
books
about the experience of Chinese laundries, Chinese markets, being the
only
Chinese family in town, and now, Sweet
and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants, so many Chinese
immigrants and their children share in the experiences that he
describes that t
evokes the nostalgic atmosphere of a family reunion_
This
retired psychology prof. is devoting himself
to Chinese American history. Met him at a talk in
Vancouver.
Brings
back
childhood memories as most of the people interviewed are from Toisan
like my
family. We could always go into a new town, drop in at a Chinese
restaurant and
be welcomed. Dad would run out and say, "they're cousins!" Now I know
he meant they were from Toisan.
It
also is a nice little account on the history of restaurants in
America and changing trends. Rosemary
Sweet
and Sour
covers many important aspects of the Chinese restaurant business and it
is a
great contribution to the study of Chinese food in America. This area
really
deserves more attention than
it has had. Haiming
Liu, California Polytechnic University, Pomona
Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton
"... your
book presents the
most definitive and accurate account of the Chinese in the Ms
Delta--what it
was like to be Chinese and growing up in the segregated South during
that time.
Thanks for all your time and effort in researching and telling the
story of the
Ms Chinese Grocers in the Land of Cotton." Peter Joe
"Thank you for writing
this book especially so that current and future
young people with roots in the South will know about their roots..."
"Wow!
Impressive! I think it takes an outsider to truly
appreciate it. We're too close to it to really appreciate what a
great
social history it is."
A
very good read. As
a granddaughter of store owners, this book
was a
fascinating look at what life was like for my grandparents and mother.
Indirectly, I learned a lot about my family. I felt that I knew very
little
about my mother's childhood, but now I have a rich context with which
to insert
the stories I have heard.
C. Acharya
Great Expectations
As a 1st
generation Chinese-American who grew up in the Mississippi Delta during
the
50's, I was disappointed to find John Jung's book similiar in theme to
Jim
Lowen's book, "Mississippi Chinese, Between Black & White." I had
hoped to find in more detail, in narrative, the struggles of the early
Chinese;
instead, I sense their comments got lost in translation, i.e., absent
was the
emotional dimension.
Kathryn Stockett's book, "The Help,"
although fiction, would have been a perfect avenue to depict the
Chinese in
Mississippi. Except for pull-out
quotes from
Bobby Moon and others, I didn't get the real sense of struggle,
prejudice,
frustration -- or any of the emotive characteristics confronting the
Chinese.
The events were a recitation of...the events.
This is not to say that "Chopsticks," is not a good
read. I commend Jung for his efforts to capture this fading corner of
American society.In the next few years,
little of the original voices
will be left to speak of the Chinese and the making of America. And for
this I
congratulate him for adding another bookmark on behalf of the Chinese
in
Mississippi.
Frank Lee Shaw, MS ('46-60)
John
Jung Hits a Home Run, August
24, 2010 By Bobby Joe Moon
(Note I
was Dr. John Jung's primary consultant for this book about my community
in the
Mississippi Delta.)
When Dr. Jung contacted me after
having
read my internet story entitled "Pilgrimage to China" on [...] to
tell me of his plans to write a book about my community I was more than
eager
for someone of Dr. Jung's stature and reputation to do such a project.
I had
already read his two books about the North American Chinese hand
laundries and
was familiar with his works. His final product, in my opinion, was a
home run
because he went to great lengths to gather so many accounts from many,
many
sources to present a wide spectrum of differing views about life in the
Mississippi Delta. The views presented were not always the most
flattering to
the Delta Chinese either but he tried to be even-handed in the
presentations.
On balance this is the best study to-date of my community and I will be
forever
grateful for his wonderful work which
exceeded all of
my expectations. Bobby Joe Moon (formerly of Boyle/Cleveland MS
1944-1965)
Houston TX
Southern
Fried Rice
and
Chinese Laundries
Your
book
is a joy to read. It has a beautiful flow to it and an enriching
quality that
is easier to feel than it is to describe. Couched in humor, it deals
with the
painful and serious matter of day-to-day struggles of existence of a
couple who
came here with hardly anything more than faith in their hearts and
steel in
their spines. Krishan Saxena, Kensington, California
Thank
you
for telling your story in such an engaging manner. While your
story is
personal it is also universal because of its working class foundation
laced
with layers of Chinese ethnicity, family structure and dynamics, and
the
specificity of the South. Flo Oy
Wong, Artist, Sunnyvale, California
Your
book is the one that I
had promised myself that I would write one day, but you went ahead and
wrote
it. You did a wonderful
job! Henry
Tom,
Frederick, Maryland
Enjoyed
very much reading your family history
revealing a unique experience yet sharing many of the same problems of
families
in Chinese laundries. Yours is one of the few written accounts of the
many family-run
laundries in the U. S. Thank you for the careful documentation of this
history,
which would be otherwise forgotten. Tunney Lee, Boston,
Southern
Fried Rice is
a well-written and factually documented memoir that gave me
insight into the lives of Chinese in the South, especially those living
where
there were no other Chinese, as you did in Macon. Your move to San
Francisco
must have been as much of a cultural shock for you as it was for me, an
African
American moving to the Bay Area from Memphis. Leatha Ruppert,
Cotati, Ca.
I really
enjoyed your
presentation at NAAAP. Southern Fried Rice tells a
very unique and interesting
story. Everyone in my family (my wife, my 9-year-old daughter,
and
myself) really enjoyed reading the book. J. F.
Thank
you for a wonderful evening as a speaker
at the Chi-Am Circle dinner. Your speech and life in the South typify
some of
the members in our group. My husband went through a lot when he
was a
child in Mississippi. C. F.
I was pleased to be in
your audience in Phoenix, and purchased
both books from you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading So.
Fried
Rice and to know Chinese-Americans all over the US of our generation
all
felt the same about ourselves, no matter the parents_ occupation or our
lifestyles. J. Y
Thank you again for
coming to Houston last weekend and for
giving us such an interesting talk. I enjoyed reading your first
book,
"Southern Fried Rice", before the talk and am now reading your second
book on "Chinese Laundries". I understand that you are working
on your third book "Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton"._
I like your writing style. It is clear and
easy to read. J. T.
We
were honored to have you visit (Chinese
American Museum of Chicago). Everyone really enjoyed your
presentation
and company-one of the best comments was _he was so down to earth and
engaging._ We thank you for sharing
your family story and
spending time with us. S. M.
You have
an easygoing style of presentation,
which let people warm up to you even though they don't know you from
before. I
read your story with interest. My parents also owned a laundry _Thank
you for
writing about a subject that is not a popular topic. D. L.
Your
lecture yesterday was most interesting
and with the most attendance for us so far...I hope that you were well
pleased
and will grant us future visits. We certainly were delighted to have
you. M. L.
You have a very unique Chinese
surname and a very nice name. Your
Chinese romanization should be Lao Si-Yuan, and, of course, you would
put last
name (Lao) first in English. Your surname means
"labor" or "to work." You first name (Si) means "to
think" or " to reflect." Your middle name 源 means "origin."
It has three drops of water on the
left, indicating that it originally meant for the water origin. The
combination
of your first name and middle name reminds you to think of your root or
origin.
What a nice and scholarly name! J.
W.
It reminded me so
much of growing up in Augusta.
Though we grew up in different times, the situations were similar, and
I
enjoyed reading very much your book. I thought it was very
interesting
what you wrote about the music and art lessons that you had in public
school
since I can also remember these subjects_.
Georgia has
changed a lot from the times that
we both grew up there, and I see more acceptance
of
Chinese and inter-marriages. It was interesting to
hear of your
experiences in California as opposed to growing up in Georgia. I
wonder
now whether Asians from California feel closer to their "roots" or
whether assimilation into the society has made them feel more American
and the
Chinese heritage and customs are being forgotten.
I appreciated that you wrote
this book, because it has given me a
deeper perspective in what it means to be a second generation Chinese
American
of emigrant parents who operated a Chinese laundry. I understand that
all
minorities that emigrated to the United
States in
search of a better life had their struggles with survival and
discrimination,
this makes me not only value and respect my parents, but for other
emigrant
parents who desired their children to be prosperous.
I
have just finished reading Your book
"Southern Fried Rice..." and thank you for your work
and for publishing this information. My Father worked as a radio
repairman
at the Guy White Radio Shop on Mulberry Street across from the Grand
Theater
from 1940 to 1952. Having been born in Macon in 1940, my memories
of Macon
are similar to yours. I managed to escape in 1964 (A white person
who was
not a segregationist was not really acceptable to the
society.) and finally settled in Portland, Oregon in
1974. My
Daughter's high school was about 20% Asian students. I gave a
copy of
your book to a Chinese friend since several times we had discussed
your
family, and what it may have been like as the only Chinese in
middle
Georgia.
Your
book was recommended
to my by the Macon-Bibb County Public Library while in search of a
relative(s)
of Chinese ancestry who lived in Georgia.I truly appreciate your
sharing your
personal story. It gave me a window into what life might have
been like
for my own family even though my relative most likely arrived in the
1870s. I devoured your book with great
interest!
I was reading with fingers crossed that perhaps a resource might pop up
that
might aid me in finding additional documentation of my
ancestor(s).
I have just finished
reading "Southern Fried
Rice," and thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have learned much that
hopefully will give me some leads in searching for information on my
paternal
grandfather. I am particularly interested in searching out the
Chinese
Hand Laundry Alliance in New York, since my ancestor eventually
migrated there
from Florida and worked as a laundryman in Upper Manhattan, as he did
in St.
Augustine, FL. However, even if I never find out anything, your
book has
allowed me to gain some insight into what his life might have been
like, what
he might have experienced as the only Chinese in St. Augustine, FL, and
how he
came to be there.
I
stumbled upon your book "Southern Fried Rice" while
beginning a genealogy project for my family. My husband is
African
American, from Bainbridge, GA and his great grandfather was
Chinese. I am
just beginning to document the oral history, but I have been told that
the
Chinese family owned a laundry in Bainbridge, GA
most
likely between 1920-1930. One son (my husbands great
grandfather)
married an African American woman and had 3 children.
Unfortunately, he was killed by the KKK and
the Chinese family moved
west. They offered to take the wife and children with them, but
she
declined, and remained in Bainbridge GA to raise the children with her
family.
I was so
excited to find your
book and I am looking forward to reading it. My goal is to
document the
family history in context with American history. Your book will
be a
valuable missing link. Thank you for all your hard work.
Trina S.
Pyron, M.A.
Health
Education Specialist
Office on Smoking and Health
Centers for Disease
Control
and Prevention
I
stayed up last night and read your Southern Fried Rice; life in a
Chinese
laundry in the deep South. It was so
fascinating;
I couldn_t put it down; you definitely have a skill for writing.
Even
though your family_s situation was unique, being the only Chinese in
town vs.
our having Chinese families up and down the MS Delta; the descriptions
you gave
of your family life was so typical of Chinese life that we experienced
here. Your family must have immigrated
from the
same area as the families in MS. Your style is very readable and
I could
identify with all the Chinese customs that you mentioned (your Mother
is to be
commended for keeping the Chinese traditions). I especially
appreciate
your approach to the White, Black, Chinese relationships, an honest
statement
of how it was rather than totally making it a race issue.
F. Q.
The
fascination is that I too am Chinese
American born in the deep south of Miami, Florida where my mother &
father
started out with a Chinese Laundry ending up with a grocery
store.
Margaret
I think
your book has been
circulating around our church, and everyone that reads it can't put it
down.
I'm one of the few southern Chinese in my church, so when one of my
friends
discovered your book Southern Fried Rice, he insisted
that I read it. Honestly I
couldn't put it down. Thank you for writing and documenting that
time
period. Many of the things that you and your family went through
I could
relate and was reminded of how things were. F.W.
Thank
you for sharing your
personal story with your readers. You seem to have an easygoing style
of
presentation which lets people warm up to you even though they don't
know you
from before.I read your story with
interest. My
parents also owned a laundry in the city of Newark, California from
1963 to
1972. However, our laundry is not the traditional "Chinese owned"
laundry that you may have described in your book, it was a coin
operated
laundromat in a rural town (population 12,000 at the time)...Thank you
for
writing about a subject that is not a popular topic. Diana L.
I enjoyed it very
much! I can really relate because
your family_s history parallels mine, especially with the migration to
San
Francisco. That_s why I bought several _ to
give to
each of my siblings. Like my mother used to
say, _always
remember your roots._ And your memoir
helps us
do that!
Florence
L.
My husband
and I are Caucasian and we adopted
our daughter from China. She is in third grade now and has been
learning about
Martin Luther King. Yesterday, after seeing a video in school
about Dr.
King, she asked me a question I couldn_t answer: _If there were
black
drinking fountains and white drinking fountains, which one would I go to?_ She held out her forearm to show me that
her skin
was darker than mine. I_ve been trying to find out
the answer
to this question, and haven_t come up with any good leads. When I saw
the
information about you and your book, I hoped you might be able to help
us,
either based on your own experience or research.
I
have to admit, I
was fascinated with both books_the text, and particularly the pictures,
brought
back memories of my younger days and my parents. I grew up
knowing only
the few Chinese laundries in the Washington DC area, and some of our
cousins_
in New York. But I never thought much about the common threads
until I
started looking through your books. Thanks
for the education
and the enlightenment! I would certainly like to hear about your
future
works and other Chinese American heritage pursuits that you believe are
of
interest. Get
M.
On behalf of Chinese
American Museum Of Chicago and myself,
I want to thank you very much for spending so much of your time with us
while
you were attending the AAAS conference here the past week. Your
lecture
yesterday was most interesting and with the most attendance for us so
far. I know that there would be more exchanges if time permitted.
I hope
that you were well pleased and will grant us future visits. We
certainly were
delighted to have you.
I
have been away most of today, but sat down and read thru "Southern
Fried
Rice" in one sitting this evening. That says a lot
about
your book. Margaret
I
FINALLY read Southern
fried rice. in fact, I started the book at
about
2:30am this morning and finished it just now...at 6am. I
loved
it. Every part of what Dr. Jung wrote is true; the customs,
values,
mannerisms, and ways of thought mentioned throughout the book are
almost
cookie-cutter to those of my parents. the
one
difference is that my parents came directly to LA and they owned a
restaurant
instead of a laundry business. thanks
so much
for referring the book to me!
Thank you
so much for a wonderful
presentation. It was a great evening for all of us. Our MCCA
members and
friends all enjoyed learning about Chinese American history and your
life in
Macon, GA. Lots of luck on your talk in
Berkeley
tomorrow. Jean Bee Chan,
Marin
Chinese Cultural Association
Your story telling is
great. And the struggles of your parents to
make a living doing hard work under harsh conditions in an alien
society, as
well as raise a family with dignity and values under those
circumstances, is a
remarkable one. It consoles the reader and even inspires him/her
to
continue. It is the story of every family that no body writes
about. It has a quality of saying it is "my story." Not
an easy thing to achieve as a writer.
It was
very nice to meet you at Assn Asian
American Studies. I have now finished SOUTHERN FRIED RICE. I
think it is
fascinating and very revealing. You have a fine talent as a
storyteller. I look
forward to the publication of your new book. Greg Robinson,
Associate Professor of History, Universit_ du Qu_bec _ Montr_al
Jung
traces about one hundred years of Chinese-American history
in an excellent memoir that is inspiring yet told with a great
underlying sense
of humor. Students of Chinese language and culture will find the
Cantonese references and photos spread throughout to be fascinating easter eggs. For example, one of the more
interesting,
subtle things I noticed was the picture of a homework exercise from the
author's mother's English composition book on p191 where various
English words
were "sounded out" using Chinese characters as a Cantonese phonetic
basis which is precisely what someone learning such a different and
unfamiliar
writing system as the Latin alphabet would do. Regardless of one's
background
with Chinese, fans of history will find this a fascinating, fun read
that is
hard to put down: I myself read it in one sitting. Jung bats a 1.000
with this
one, bravo!
I
thoroughly enjoyed reading it and haven't come across
such an interesting and well-researched book on American Chinese
history since
"The Mississippi Chinese" by Loewen. Well done! One question I do
have deals strangely enough with the cover which
shows
various images of the price list from Joe's Laundry. Some of those
words (such
as yau4saam1 oil+clothing for "overalls") I've never seen before
though semantically they make sense. Are some of those words from
another
Cantonese dialect (e.g., Sei Yap rather than HK/GZ) or are they special
two character laundry jargon or shorthand?
Southern
Fried Rice I started
reading it last night and couldn't
put it down. So I have just finished reading it. It's an
excellent
book. All of us raised in the south can relate to things you have
written
about in your book. A.S.
The Berkeley Chinese Community
Church Senior Center have been twice
blessed with your presentations, last year on "Chinese Laundries" and
this year on "Southern Fried Rice." You have a way of telling your
stories that bring back so many memories of our own lives as we all
grew up as
2nd generation Chinese Americans. We look forward to a presentation on
your 3rd
book "Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton" with great
anticipation. Thank you again. W. C
I have just finished your
book. It was so intriguing, that,
had it not been for a colleague dropping by to remind me that it was
past noon,
I would have read right through lunch. Your book has probably inspired
me to
consider what my family has been asking (nagging) me to do: To
write my
autobiography. (_Since you have retired, you will have nothing
better to
do . . ._). Hmmm -- I_m not sure that a
scientist will
possess the literary skills as someone schooled in the Humanities.
At certain points, I simply
had to stop and laugh:
jook-sing!! What?! _ you
too?? I feel like I could (should) highlight, and add marginal notes!!
I will certainly
have to tell my brothers that they should obtain copies of your
book. Since we all spent years working in the laundry, they
will be
able to relate to your experiences as well.
I have just
finished reading John R. Jung's book,
"Southern Fried Rice - Life in A Chinese Laundry in the Deep
South". It was G-R-E-A-T!! His was the only Chinese family
in
Macon, Georgia. It is incredible how his experiences exactly
paralleled ours; -- the same prejudices and
discriminations that we
incurred in Kannapolis. In fact, the building looked just like
ours; --
laundry down stairs with living quarters upstairs.;
--
those same three windows looking down on the street below.
It was a
pleasure meeting you today @ Delta
State U & well worth the 2-hr drive _ I am look'g forward to read'g
your
books and will share them among our 3 college-age daughters. Your time
and
patience in document'g grow'g up in America in the early years will
help
visualize to the younger generation what our ancestors went through. My
humble
thanks, Linda
Thank
you for agreeing to come to the
Mississippi Delta and sharing your stories with us. It was such a
pleasure meeting you. We are all anxiously awaiting the release
of
CHOPSTICKS and your return to the Delta. _ please
know that you have a strong fan base here in the Mississippi Delta, and
at
Delta State University. Georgene