Eventually, they fanned out to the Midwest in search of gold pieces. Many ventured out to the rich farms of Central Valley, the gold mines of Sierra Nevada, and the railroad tracks of the Far West. They searched for jobs in hand laundries, Chop Suey restaurants, and grocery markets. Upon their arrival, fellow Jeong Clan members gave them sanctuary in a tight network in San Francisco Chinatown along Dupont Street (now Grant Avenue) in cramped buildings. ![]() They had claimed to be sons, “paper sons” of native sons “paper fathers.” After a tortuous approval process, immigration officers reluctantly admitted them to enter Gold Mountain. ![]() If credible, the immigration officers issued Certificate of Identity. They mindlessly and harshly interrogated the men and boys, as victims of the racially discriminatory and cruel 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. American immigration officers immediately placed them in detention barracks on Angel Island. The men and boys arrived as strangers from a different shore to San Francisco for a piece of Gold Mountain. With their fellow brothers, they shared hopes and They had deep regret to leave their loved ones. In crowded living quarters, with foreign foods, they endured a one Who sought their fortune in Gold Mountain (America) and return their riches toįrom Hong Kong, they traveled on sail boats and Of labor led Jeong forefathers to join successive waves of desperate emigrants With the Qing Dynasty in steep decline, the surplus The villagers endured constant famines and turmoil including the Opium War, the Hakka Civil War, and the Taiping Rebellion. ![]() Fierce battles, marauding bandits, and cataclysmic floods engulfed the pastoral countryside. In late 19 th century and early 20 th century, China suffered constant chaos and turmoil. In this tropical paradise of bamboo groves and piney woods, people eked a simple and basic life to survive in a harsh world. About 100 people lived among the 30 homes. They had lived and worked in the rich rice fields and abundant fishponds among cluster of simple gray brick houses in narrow alleys. The men and boys of Jeong Clan hailed from the ancestral village of Chew Young in the fertile land of Pearl River Delta, in South China. This is the story of two immigrant communities both having each others backs. The Nikkei community felt warm comfort at the Far East Café where they gathered for weddings, birthdays, graduations, parties, and funerals. It could truthfully be said that this kind of goodwill helped to make the Far East, along with its famous cheap and tasty menu, the most popular and well-known restaurant in the entire Japanese American community.”įrom 1935 to 1994, for 59 years, the Jeong (Zhang) clan from Kwantung (Guangdong) Province happily served their customers with tasty Chop Suey cuisine and their friendly service. They would go to the Far East Cafe across the street from the Koyasan Temple and the Chinese owners of the Cafe, who were familiar with many of these returnees, allowed them to eat “on credit”, asking to be paid when they were able to do so. “ According to some folks who recall those days, after spending years in the camps and losing most if not all of their possessions, they had little spending money. Memories of Chop Suey and its historic red wood booths, iconic neon sign and China-Meshi are clearly etched in many hearts of four generations of Nikkei (Issei, Nisei, Sansei, and Yonsei) for sentimental nostalgia of a bygone era.īill Watanabe, retired executive director of the Little Tokyo Service Center spoke about the significance of the Far East Cafe in his community. In the heart of Little Tokyo (Nihonmachi) in downtown Los Angeles, the Far East Café stands as a glorious landmark for the Nikkei community of Southern California.
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