History

December 4, 2020 0

Ar-Showe: A Wealthy Chinese Tea Seller

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 […]

October 16, 2020 0

Preserving Chinese culture through ‘Kung Fu’ – the origin of Boston’s Eastern US Kung Fu Federation

by Carey Lin

Arguably the biggest spectacle of any Chinese celebration is perhaps the acrobatic lion dance and martial arts demonstrations. Each school demonstrates techniques that have been taught, learned, and passed down for generations. Colloquially referred to as Chinese kung fu, “officially it is actually called the national sport, ‘國術’,” said Dr. Paul Kwan, Associate Professor of Medical Education at Tufts. In the U.S., kung fu was popularized in the 1970s after the initial successes in Hong Kong in the 50s and […]

October 16, 2020 0

Youth share stories of anti-Asian racism during virtual discussion

by Shira Laucharoen

Youth speakers shared their stories of encountering anti-Asian racism in their lives at a discussion session held on September 8. The talk, “Breaking the Silence on Asian Racism,” was sponsored by Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI) and the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMASS Boston). Students Yongshi Xu, Justin Chan, Annie Lu, and Aaron Huang voiced their experiences, while Dr. Carolyn Wong, a research associate from UMASS Boston, facilitated. Xu, a senior at The Woodward School for Girls, began the conversation […]

September 18, 2020 0

In Memoriam: William (Bill) Moy (July 10, 1934 – May 25, 2020)

by Carey Lin

William “Bill” Moy passed away on May 25, 2020 at the age of 86. Born and raised in Boston, Bill is remembered for his important contributions and advocacy for the Chinatown community. After retiring, he founded Moy Associates, Inc. to continue being involved in the civil engineering industry, consulting on engineering work and projects. As a retiree, he utilized his skills and experience in protecting the best interests of the Chinatown community. Bill was one of the many influential community […]

September 18, 2020 0

Celebrating 100 Years of Voting—But Not for Asian American Women

by Christina Tuttle

This August, Americans celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the 19th Amendment—an anniversary that excludes many Chinese Americans. While the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, many Asian American women were denied citizenship due to laws like the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. It wasn’t until the 1952 McCarran-Walter Act that all Asian Americans could vote. This law allowed people of Asian ancestry to become citizens, thereby giving them the right to vote. Sixty-eight years later, Asian American political […]

September 4, 2020 0

Bella Long, The Original Queen of Chinatown

by Richard Auffrey

By Richard Auffrey Who was the original “Queen of Chinatown”? The answer will likely surprise you, until you consider the circumstances of the time. For approximately twenty years, until her death in 1906, Bella Long was the undisputed Queen of Chinatown. She was likely the first white woman, married to a Chinese man, who lived in Boston’s Chinatown, having arrived in town around 1880-1882. Her past before she moved to Chinatown was mired in mystery and throughout most of her […]

August 21, 2020 0

Mary Yick, a pioneering restaurateur of Chinatown who fought discrimination

by Richard Auffrey

From restaurant owner to blackjack dealer, Mary Yick, like two other Chinatown restaurateurs, Ruby Foo and Anita Chue, was another pioneering woman in the Chinatown’s restaurant industry, owning the Tiki Hut restaurant on Tyler Street. Mary Yick was born around 1934 and made her first appearance in a local newspaper, the Boston Herald, in November 1939. At age 5, she and two other young Chinese girls were photographed walking in a parade in Chinatown, part of the first rice bowl party for war […]

August 21, 2020 0

Chinatown Master Plan 2020 covers a broad spectrum of future development and community needs

by Lydia Lowe

The Chinatown Master Plan Committee released Master Plan 2020 with two recent launch events, involving more than a hundred participants from the community, local officials, and other interested stakeholders. Chinatown Master Plan 2020 is a 91-page report, with English and Chinese language versions, that includes data snapshots, updated community development priorities, and identification of four “opportunity areas” where development could support community health and stability. Drafted out of a year-and-a-half planning process involving residents, small business owners, community organizations, and […]

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