February 21, 2025 | Vol. 54, Issue 4
Chinese Version 繁体 / 简体中文版 首頁

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

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Behind the Drum, Cymbal and Lion, There’s Adrenaline, and Then Hunger Snake Mural Lets Viewers Send Wishes, Artist Hold onto Chinese Heritage Order Said to ‘Criminalize’ Some Non-Citizen Students for Protest Don’t Miss Out on These Credits Time to Brush Up on Kids’ Dental Health

History

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Mother is a verb

by Sampan Staff

Go back to 1870 and read suffragette Julia Ward Howe’s manifesto “The Mother’s Day Proclamation.” It’s an audacious and revolutionary piece of writing that resonates equally with  her more popular effort, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” While the Hymn to our Republic has been her primary legacy, its use as both a malevolent threat and inspiring ode to perseverance has weakened its importance. “The Mother’s Day Proclamation” is thrilling, even after 152 years: “Our sons shall not be taken […]

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The First Chinese Restaurants in Springfield

by Richard Auffrey

Although numerous Chinese immigrants settled in the Boston area during the latter part of the 20th century, many others moved to different parts of the state, including Springfield. The Springfield Republican,October 1, 1893, reported that there were about 25 Chinese living in the city, employed in 12 laundries. The article reflected very positively on the Chinese, stating “[the] Chinese as seen in the East are as a class law-abiding and inoffensive. Very seldom is one arrested or complained of for crime, […]

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Yung Wing & the Earliest Chinese Students in Massachusetts

by Richard Auffrey

Springfield was one of the first cities in Massachusetts where Chinese arrived in the 1840s, primarily fueled by the desire for education. The start of this tale though extends back about 30 years earlier. Reverend Samuel Robbins Brown was born in 1810 in Hartford, Connecticut and in 1818, his family moved to Monson, Massachusetts, a relatively short distance from Springfield. Samuel attended the Monson academy, which prepared students for college, and he was part of the Yalecollege class of 1832. Samuel became a missionary […]

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Origins Of The St. Paul Sandwich: A Missouri Invention?

by Richard Auffrey

     “The St. Paul Sandwich — comprising an egg foo young patty, slice of tomato, pickle and iceberg lettuce sandwiched between two slices of mayonnaise-laden white bread..”—Riverfront Times, November 15, 2006 If you’ve visited Chinese-American restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri, or some other Missouri cities, you might’ve eaten a St. Paul Sandwich. The origins of this sandwich are murky, but the most commonly shared legend is that it was invented by Steven Yuen at Park Chop Suey in St. Louis, possibly in the 1970s. It’s […]

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Origins of Crab Rangoon

by Richard Auffrey

At most Chinese-American restaurants, you can find Crab Rangoons and they are a hugely popular item. Also known as Crab Puffs, Crab Pillows, and Cheese Wontons, these are essentially fried wontons stuffed with cream cheese and imitation crab (or sometimes real crab). They are crunchy and creamy, and they are prepared nearly the same at every restaurant. When and where did Crab Rangoons originate? Most sources indicate that Crab Rangoons were likely invented by Victor Bergeron, the founder of Trader […]

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Centuries Ago, Many in Boston Saw Chinese Only Through The Lens of Exploitation

by Richard Auffrey

During the 19th century, and even into the early 20th century, it was common for circuses, carnivals and other shows to exploit people with rare disabilities or deformities — and sometimes for just being ethnically different. Two people who became international celebrities in these shows and who toured Boston in the early 1800s were known as “Chang and Eng.” On August 16, 1829, the Sachem, captained by Abel Coffin, sailed into Boston Harbor, bearing with it Chang and Eng, who eventually became known worldwide as the “Siamese […]

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Chinatown Heroes, Cast in Bronze

by Xinyan Fu

A laundryman, a cook, a garment worker, and a grandmother with a child — these figures might seem ordinary and unrecognizable to many. Yet, the figures and the community they represent are the foundation of Boston Chinatown and its community.  And now, artist Wen-ti Tsen is working on making these characters into four life-size bronze statues. The work-in-progress project, Chinatown Worker Statues, is created by the 85-year-old artist who intended to “commemorate and pay tribute” to Chinatown workers who have […]

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SFFA v. Harvard

by Chelsea Wang

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear cases challenging affirmative action–race-conscious–admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), an organization led by legal strategist Edward Blum, sued the universities in 2014, alleging that their admissions policies discriminate against Asian American and white applicants. SFFA accused Harvard of discriminating against Asian Americans through the personal rating–which purports to measure personality traits such as leadership and kindness–it assigns to each applicant. On January 24, […]

Charles Shue, Justice of the Peace
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Charles Shue, First Chinese-American Justice of the Peace, Lived Fascinating, Inspirational Life

by Richard Auffrey

Charles K. Shue, who lived in Boston’s Chinatown, was a wealthy merchant, restaurant owner, and the first Chinese-American justice of the peace in the United States. He would also be the first Chinese-American man in the U.S. to win a nomination to public office. He was also known as Chin Shue, Chin Quong, and Chin Que Shue. No matter the name, his tale is a fascinating and inspirational one.  Shue was born in Seattle, Washington around 1874, and came to Boston almost twenty years […]

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