Life in China – Family in the Chinese American Takeout Restaurant

Tag: Life in China

“Farmers will always be farmers. Look at the fields that farmers work on, it’s not enough to live in. What if I stayed in China and continued to do farm work? It’s menial labor. My entire destiny would be different. You couldn’t make money in China at the time. There is no work.”
– Person C describes what life would be like if she had stayed in China in February 6, 2023 interview, translated.

There are many examples of how much the American dream means to those who wished to become citizens. “A path out of purgatory” in the New Yorker details the conundrum faced by the United States as a result from the Golden Venture’s landed passengers, providing an example of how far some would go to arrive on American soil.

While none of the participants I interviewed went through a turbulent and dangerous journey to arrive in America, their hopes and what they sought in United States is not far removed from that of many impoverished immigrants. Person A, Person B, and Person C’s families moved to America for better opportunities, stating that there were not enough jobs, people were poor and uneducated. No participants have any plans of moving back to China, wishing to permanently reside in America where there is family to take care of the elderly.

Keefe, Patrick Radden. “A Path Out Of Purgatory.” The New Yorker. June 6, 2013. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-path-out-of-purgatory.

Immigration to America – February 6th, 2023

Index: 0:00 – Background in rural China from a village of about 100 people, crops were taxes by government with the remaining not enough to feed Person C’s family of 5, during her grandfather’s generation men who left to work…

From Garment Factory to Chinese American Takeout Restaurant to College Graduate Interview – April 3rd, 2022

Index: 1:00 – Immigration and adjusting to life in America 7:20 – Illegal and legal immigration 10:35 – Arriving in America, Chinese Beijing Person in New York City CCTV Show 18:45 – Cook, Cashier, Kitchen Aid roles in Chinese American…

Peculiar Upbringing and Dynamic Chinese Identity Interview – June 15th, 2022

Index: 00:20 – Pressure to have kids, satellite upbringing, restaurant operations 3:30 – Covid restaurant shutdown 5:20 – Marriage reasons, satellite child trauma 9:30 – Expectations 11:15 – Satellite Child, change in lifestyle from China, food anxiety for the previous…

Generational and Cultural Trauma Interview 1 – June 12th, 2022

Index: 00:40 – Living arrangements 5:40 – Gender and age as factors growing up 8:20 – Restaurant roles, kids helping out in restaurants 10:30 – Restaurant as physical, menial labor, customer service labor 11:15 – Satellite Child, change in lifestyle…

A Combined China-United States Upbringing Interview 1 – April 4th, 2022

Index: 00:10 – Financial independence, new of American fortune in Chinese countryside 4:30 – American versus Chinese education and learning method 5:45 – Opening Chinese American takeout restaurant 8:45 – Kids helping in restaurant 9:45 – Restaurant neighborhood culture 15:45…