Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton Talk by John Jung, Chi-Am Circle, 2010

8/9/2019 Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton Talk by John Jung, Chi-Am Circle, 2010

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Chopsticks in The Land of CottonChopsticks in The Land of Cotton

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March 28, 2010

Lives of Mississippi Delta Chinese GrocersLives of Mississippi Delta Chinese Grocers

John

Jung


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From China to the DeltaFrom China to the Delta


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mapmap


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After Slavery Ended,After Slavery Ended,

Southern plantations sought Chinese laborSouthern plantations sought Chinese labor


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DeclineofCotton Started Around 1910s


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Plantations Closed Their CommissariesPlantations Closed Their Commissaries


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Opportunity for Chinese Grocers OpenedOpportunity for Chinese Grocers Opened

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New England Laundrymen Go to the DeltaNew England Laundrymen Go to the Delta


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A Sample of Grocery StoresA Sample of Grocery Stores

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Living In/Behind The Store


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Southern SegregationSouthern Segregation


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Where Chinese in the Delta StoodWhere Chinese in the Delta Stood

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School Segregation 1920sSchool Segregation 1920s--19501950


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Chinese School ChildrenChinese School Children


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Chinese 1Chinese 1--Room School, GreenvilleRoom School, Greenville


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Chinese Church SchoolsChinese Church Schools

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Delta Marriage PatternsDelta Marriage Patterns


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A Delta Chinese Wedding ReceptionA Delta Chinese Wedding Reception


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Youth Assimilate to AmericanWaysYouth Assimilate to AmericanWays


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Sample of Chinese Views ofSample of Chinese Views ofGrowing Up in the DeltaGrowing Up in the Delta

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Caught Between Black and WhiteCaught Between Black and White

WeWe livedlived inin thethe BlackBlack neighborhoodneighborhood forfor businessbusiness purposespurposes butbut wentwent toto schoolschool withwith

WhitesWhites..

WeWe hadhad toto becomebecome adeptadept atat balancingbalancing betweenbetween BlacksBlacks andand WhitesWhites..

WeWe ChineseChinese werewere allowedallowed intointo bothboth worlds,worlds, butbut wewe mainlymainly stayedstayed amongamong ourselvesourselvesWeWe

knewknew wewe werewere notnot toto datedate girlsgirls ofof eithereither worldworld.. WeWe mademade ourour livelihoodslivelihoods fromfrom thethe BlacksBlacks

primarilyprimarily andand fromfrom somesome WhitesWhites..

Being in the White world for public schools, ourBeing in the White world for public schools, ourparents had to donate money to theparents had to donate money to theWhite Citizens' Council and yet try to be supportive of the BlacksWhite Citizens' Council and yet try to be supportive of the Blacks from whom they werefrom whom they were

making their livelihoods.making their livelihoods.

Again, this wasAgain, this was very confusing for usvery confusing for us. We were taught to hate the Blacks by being in the. We were taught to hate the Blacks by being in theWhite world.White world.


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Blacks were at the very low end of the scale, and the Chinese wereBlacks were at the very low end of the scale, and the Chinese weresort of in between.sort of in between. We didn't really fit inWe didn't really fit in. Very rich, aristocratic. Very rich, aristocraticwhites were at the top end.whites were at the top end.

I remember going to the theatre andI remember going to the theatre and not really knowing where I wasnot really knowing where I wassupposed to sit.supposed to sit. Colored people had to sit upstairs, and whiteColored people had to sit upstairs, and whitepeople sat downstairspeople sat downstairs

Chinese really didn't have a place in societyChinese really didn't have a place in society. Economically they. Economically they

were better than the blacks, but on a social scale, they didn'twere better than the blacks, but on a social scale, they didn'tamount to very much.amount to very much.

I left Mississippi in 1973. There was no future for me there.I left Mississippi in 1973. There was no future for me there. I have such bad feelings for the place I wouldnt go back.I have such bad feelings for the place I wouldnt go back.

Being Chinese in Mississippi

was definitely a handicap


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Coping with PrejudiceCoping with Prejudice


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Views As AdultsViews As Adults

ToTo thethe despairdespair ofof ourour parents,parents, whatwhat wewe learnedlearned andand whatwhat wewe becamebecame duringduringandand afterafter collegecollege distanceddistanced usus fromfrom ourour parentsparents andand ourour heritageheritage..

somesome havehave leftleft thethe smallsmall storesstores inin thethe blackblack neighborhoodsneighborhoods andand havehave openedopenedlargerlarger onesones onon thethe otherother sideside ofof towntown..

OthersOthers leftleft thethe grocerygrocery businessbusiness toto theirtheir fathers,fathers, havehave becomebecome pharmacists,pharmacists,computercomputer programmers,programmers, andand engineersengineers joinedjoined civiccivic organizationsorganizations andandhavehave becomebecome membersmembers ofof churcheschurches..

AAnn increasingincreasing numbernumber havehave marriedmarried membersmembers ofof thethe whitewhite communitycommunity..

II question,question, though,though, whetherwhether mymy generationgeneration hashas reallyreally mademade itit..

True,True, thethe factfact thatthat wewe areare economicallyeconomically successfulsuccessful doesdoes countcount forfor something,something,butbut moneymoney isis onlyonly oneone measuremeasure ofof powerpower andand onlyonly aa minimalminimal meansmeans ofofentranceentrance intointo whitewhite MississippiMississippi societysociety..

II thinkthink thethe membersmembers ofof mymy generationgeneration understandunderstand that,that, althoughalthough theythey maymaynotnot admitadmit itit..


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Then and Now ... the End of An EraThen and Now ... the End of An Era

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1940

s

2008


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Delta Chinese ReunionDelta Chinese Reunion

The Big Event, 1987The Big Event, 1987


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Part ofA Tribute to TheirPastPart ofA Tribute to TheirPastDelta State UniversityArchives Exhibit 2008Delta State UniversityArchives Exhibit 2008


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Dinner, Maria Joes Store,Dinner, Maria Joes Store,Greenwood, Ms. (2008)Greenwood, Ms. (2008)


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So that old times there are not soon forgottenSo that old times there are not soon forgotten

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32Berkeley, Mar.


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Thank YouThank You

yy Questions?Questions?

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Few Chinese in South, 1920Few Chinese in South, 1920 --19301930

GeorgiaMississippi

Documents

Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton Talk by John Jung, Chi-Am Circle, 2010