History Archives - Page 4 of 6

June 25, 2021 0

Dr. Ensang Cheng: Boston’s first Chinese licensed physician

The first Chinese doctors in the U.S. were herbalists, following an ancient tradition, and there are still Chinese herbalists today, including in Boston’s Chinatown. In the late 19th century, a handful of Chinese residents chose to attend American medical schools to receive a degree as a Medical Doctor, or M.D. In New England, Ensang Waniella Cheng became the first male Chinese student to graduate from Harvard Medical school, and was the only licensed Chinese doctor in New England for nearly […]

Chinese laundry business through history

June 11, 2021 0

An early history of Chinese laundries in Boston

by Richard Auffrey

During the 19th century, the most prevalent occupation for Chinese men who settled in the Boston area was being a laundryman. This was also true for many cities across the country, especially as the Chinese had few available options, being barred from many other occupations. The first Chinese laundry in the U.S. likely opened in San Francisco in 1851, and the first Chinese laundry in Boston, noted as a “California Chinese Laundry,” opened in February 1875 at 299 Tremont Street. […]

Moy Auk band leader and Chinatown restaurant owner

May 7, 2021 0

Moy Auk: band leader & famed chef

by Richard Auffrey

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) During the late 1880s, one of the first and most famous restaurants in Boston’s Chinatown was owned by Moy Auk, who also led a famous Chinese musical band. His restaurant was referred to as the “Delmonico’s” of Chinatown. At this time, Delmonico’s, in Manhattan, was considered one of the finest restaurants in the country so this was very high praise. When Moy Auk traveled from China to the U.S., he first settled in San Francisco and opened a small restaurant. […]

March 19, 2021 0

The first attempt to eradicate Chinatown

by Richard Auffrey

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Around 1884, Boston’s Chinatown coalesced as a neighborhood and community, especially on Harrison Avenue. Only seven years later, the first attempt to eradicate Chinatown arose, fueled by racism and propelled by businesses seeking to get wealthier. At this point, there were less than 1000 Chinese living in Boston, and 70% of those worked in laundries. The endeavor to eliminate Chinatown centered on a proposal to widen Harrison Avenue, the section between Essex and Beach Streets. The Boston Globe, April 14, […]

February 19, 2021 0

Sam Wah Kee: Chinatown’s wealthy merchant turned fugitive

by Richard Auffrey

During the late 1880s and 1890s, Sam Wah Kee was the most wealthy Chinese merchant in all of New England, a leader of the Chinese Free Masons, and the uncrowned king of Chinatown. His ultimate fate is unknown, as he fled from federal authorities and apparently was never apprehended. It’s a fascinating tale of the rise and fall of an influential Chinese merchant in Boston’s Chinatown. Sam Wah Kee, whose family name was actually Ah Moy, was born on October 1, 1856, in […]

the celebration of Chinese New Year in Boston, with lanterns

February 5, 2021 0

The 150th anniversary of Chinese New Year in Massachusetts

by Richard Auffrey

This year, Chinese New Year starts on Friday, February 12, beginning the Year of the Ox. It’s also the 150th Anniversary of the first public celebration of Chinese New Year in Massachusetts. Although you might suspect that the celebration occurred in Chinatown, it actually began in North Adams, a city in the far northwestern region of the state. Prior to 1870, there were only a handful of Chinese living in Massachusetts, and any celebration of Chinese New Year was more […]

January 22, 2021 0

A Boston origin of… duck sauce?

by Richard Auffrey

If you dine at local Chinese restaurants, you’ve probably been served a container of duck sauce, a versatile sweet and sour sauce that is commonly used for dipping fried foods, from eggrolls to chicken fingers, fried wontons to crab rangoons. It has become such a familiar sauce that you can find it at non-Chinese restaurants too, especially with an order of chicken fingers. What is the origin of this curious sauce? Theories abound about its origin, most believing it acquired its name […]

December 4, 2020 0

Ar-Showe: A Wealthy Chinese Tea Seller

by Richard Auffrey

According to the Boston Daily Globe, August 17, 1902, Oong Ar-Showe was the first Chinese man to come to Boston, although the article is inaccurate on that point. However, Ar-Showe was one of the first to reside in Boston, and he became a very successful businessman, especially in the tea trade. Tea was introduced into the American colonies during the mid-17th century. By the end of the century, it is said that more tea was being drunk there than in England. During the […]

November 20, 2020 0

Chinese Restaurant Finances in the 1920s

by Richard Auffrey

How much did Chinese restaurants earn during the 1920s? How were they financed? And what did they pay their employees? We can get some insight into the answers through examining two restaurants, the Royal Restaurant in Chinatown and the Imperial Restaurant in Cambridge, both connected by one of the same partners, Chung Moi. Chung Moi was born in China and came to San Francisco in 1912, where he remained for about three years before moving to Boston. There, he first […]

November 6, 2020 0

The First Chinese Person To Live In Boston

by Richard Auffrey

In 1796, the first Chinese person documented to have lived in Boston was Chou, a teenager who worked for a local sea captain. Much of that story is known to many and the sea captain is often considered to be a kind and compassionate person. However, there is a dark twist to this story which is known to very few. John Boit, of Boston, was made the Captain of a ship, the Union, when he was only 19 years old. The […]

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