But, recently, when a woman inquired whether her family's San Mateo, Ca. laundry was included, I stunned her (and myself) by opening a copy of CHINESE LAUNDRIES and showed her a photo of the Ching Lee Laundry, and asked, "Is THIS your laundry?" This type of match may never happen again, but it was exciting that it happened at least once!
At my book talks on Chinese laundries, grocery stores, and restaurants, there is invariably one or two people who ask me if a specific store is mentioned in the book. Given that these family businesses were so numerous, it is not surprising that I have to disappoint them since I am not trying to create a 'directory' or database in my works.
But, recently, when a woman inquired whether her family's San Mateo, Ca. laundry was included, I stunned her (and myself) by opening a copy of CHINESE LAUNDRIES and showed her a photo of the Ching Lee Laundry, and asked, "Is THIS your laundry?" This type of match may never happen again, but it was exciting that it happened at least once!
0 Comments
At the end of May, I got to participate in a wonderful event that involved a Chinese dinner at a long-standing restaurant in Vancouver's historic Chinatown on Pender Street, Foo's Ho Ho. The traditional village foods were featured on the menu. Over 100 supporters of the restaurant, which is facing stiff competition from newer and bigger restaurants in other parts of town, came to dinner and to hear 3 "laundry kids," Elwin Xie, author Judy Fong Bates, and myself, talk about life as we experienced it growing up in the laundries that our parents operated. It was an enthusiastic audience and everyone enjoying learning about and sharing some Chinese immigrant history.
|
Archives
December 2012
Categories
All
|