0:00 - The Interview begins with a conversation between all the interviewees describing the streets of Chinatown and its size.
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1:44 - Tom Wong begins the interview by describing his arrival in the US in 1931 and talks about his time living in Chinatown and going to local schools, such as PS 23, Rutgers High School, and Stuyvesant High School. He graduated from university in 1944 with an engineering degree and describes the difficulty of finding work during the war [WWII]. Tom then describes the various jobs he took around New York and the east coast area.
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5:56 - Tom talks about his family and how they ended up in Chinatown. Tom talks about his father originally arriving in the United States in San Francisco as a Chinese traditional doctor who practiced herbal treatments. He eventually moved to New York and opened a shop on 8 Doyers Street. When inquired about why Chinese would immigrate to the United States, Tom talks about the opportunities available in the United States and the ability to make a good living as opposed to trying to work in Canton.
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11:38 - Tom is inquired about his time living in the village in Taishan, China. He describes his time living in the country learning and working. He talks about his journey to the United States, going through Ellis Island and entering as a “merchant’s son.”
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17:11 - Joseph Eng begins the interview and describes his experience going through Ellis Island in 1922. He describes his time spent there and observations of other fellow immigrants who were stuck there for long periods. Joseph was permitted to enter the United States by himself and was admitted because his father was a “native” [possibly natural-born citizen]. His father was a restaurant cook and later a laundromat owner.
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22:28 - Joseph describes coming to the United States through arrangements by somebody from Wing On Wo Co. When asked to elaborate on this process, Joseph explains in greater detail his immigration journey, going from Canton to Hong Kong to Canada to New York. He also recalls better treatment for children, such as receiving extra food and snacks while waiting for admission.
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29:49 - Joseph talks about his mother who stayed in China and his grandfather who was originally a railroad worker. Joseph returns to describing his adolescence working as a waiter and saving money to pay for his education, enrolling into the Stewart Automobile School and later Chamberlain School. Joseph recalls his difficulty in school due to poor English language skills. Joseph would also enroll in the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Tri-State [Trine University] in Indiana.
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38:55 - Joseph describes what Chinese restaurants were like in the 1920s and 30s in New Jersey and New York, stating that many had floor shows in the form of vaudeville performances. Joseph and Tom describe the types of food served in these restaurants, such as chow mein, chop suey, and spring rolls, in addition to American cuisine and draw comparisons to the food that the restaurant staff eats during their shift, which is much more authentic Chinese and included as part of their pay.
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50:30 - The interviewer alludes that this type of work lifestyle must have been difficult and required them to sacrifice time with family. Tom believes that it wasn’t necessarily a sacrifice, but rather an expected way of life to make a fortune for the family, where the wife stays in the village in China while the husband goes overseas to work. The expectation, Tom says, is that they would accumulate enough wealth to go back and become well-off or wealthy.
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54:11 - Joseph recalls being one of the first Chinese engineers to be hired by an American firm. Joseph was a student at Casey Jones School of Aeronautics in the 1930s and was recruited to work in a startup firm called Couse Laboratories. Joseph also talks about his work at China Motors and the company’s work as a contractor during the immediate post-World War II period.
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70:30 - Helen begins the interview and talks about her immigration to the United States in 1935 via Canada then Ellis Island. She remembers immigrating as a paper daughter because her grandfather was able to claim citizenship due to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroying local public records. Helen recalls being the only girl going to the United States, and she explains that it is unusual because typically Chinese men would opt to bring over sons rather than daughters.
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79:55 - Helen graduated high school and began work as a map translator for the US government during World War II. The family would eventually close down their laundromat in the Bronx and move closer to Chinatown. Helen recalls dealing with racial discrimination when trying to rent in Little Italy and when trying to find a job outside of Chinese businesses. She would eventually work for the Bank of China in Chinatown and Wall Street.
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88:02 - Alice and Joseph talk about the China Relief Fund and their efforts in collecting donations around Chinatown and in parades during which women collected donations on a Chinese flag while wearing Chinese dresses. Alice also recalls boycotting Japanese goods and buying substitutes due to shortages. Joseph recalls wartime activities such as collecting donations for a medical truck to send to China and participating in a flight from Roosevelt Field to NY Harbor to greet General Cai Tingkai.
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96:18 - Alice begins a discussion on the Chinese school opera performances in 1933 that were done to help raise money for the school during the Depression years. Alice shares fond memories of extracurricular sports activities, going to classes, and making friends during her time in Chinese school. The conversation transitions into Chinatown theaters and nearby activities that kids from Chinatown would do, such as taking the trolleys, eating ice cream sundaes, and going to South Ferry.
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106:55 - Alice recalls the Tong Wars, as she lived on Pell Street and remembers her father having to wear body armor and put up plates to protect the home. Joseph recalls two major gangs, the On Leong Tong and the Hip Sing Tong, often fought each other over businesses and protections. Joseph also explains the Tongs' method of putting a hit on rival members by placing a pastry out for someone to pick up and if it was gone, it meant that someone took the job and would “take care” of the target.
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