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Book by Dr. Howard J. Eng: Pursuing the American Dream: Tucson's Chinese-Owned Grocery Stores
Order your copy for pickup at TCCC or contact us to arrange for shipping. Shipping through our online store here will be available soon.
ISBN: 979-8-88747-258-4 (hardcover) - $28.95
ISBN: 979-8-88747-259-1(paperback) - $13.95
Introduction:
The American Dream for many Tucson Chinese families is to work hard and save money to build up the family finances needed for the next generation to pursue new opportunities. Chinese-owned grocery stores provided the means to pursue this American Dream.
The author’s father, Moon Chau (Raymond), immigrated to Tucson, Arizona from Toishan, China in July 1941 to pursue the American Dream. Moon worked at his uncle’s grocery store until he was drafted into the United States Armed Forces and served in the US Army-Air Force (1942–46). He returned to Tucson and worked at two grocery stores. The author’s mother, June, immigrated to Tucson from Toishan, China in October 1947.
For nine years, Moon and June sold groceries from the back of their truck to customers living in rural Arizona and on the Tohono O’odham Reservation before renting Lim Yuen Market and later renaming the store Raymond’s Market. After a year, Moon and June realized that there was not enough income to support the family; they needed to look for another grocery store. Meanwhile, Moon re turned to selling groceries from his truck to customers on the Tohono O’odham Reservation while June ran the store and took care of their two sons, Howard and Wesley. In 1960, they rented Right-way Market and later bought the market. They operated the market for twenty-seven years (1960–87) before retiring.
Howard began working at Right-way Market when he was in the sixth grade and continued to work at the store for several years after he got his first full-time job. Wesley worked at the store until their parents retired in 1987. The income from the store paid for most of Howard’s and Wesley’s university education expenses. Both became pharmacists.
There are five sections in the book. The first section describes the Chinese in Tucson (mid-1870s to 2010). The next section describes the Tucson Chinese Community that supported the Chinese grocery store owners and their families. The third section provides an overview of the Chinese-owned grocery stores. The fourth section features Chinese grocery truck and store stories told by community members (Appendices A–D) and the final section lists the Chinese grocery stores in Tucson [1881–1991] (Appendix F).
The Chinese immigrants arrived in Tucson in the mid-1870s, more than three and a half decades before Arizona became a state in 1912. The Tucson Chinese population grew from 159 in 1880 to 3,619 in 2010. The Tucson Chinese community provided the support immigrants needed to overcome the language, cultural, and discrimination barriers to becoming successful.
Chinese-owned grocery stores had been a vital part of the Chinese and Tucson communities. The grocery stores significantly impacted the financial well-being of both communities. In 1881, there were two Chinese goods stores in Tucson, and by 1955 Chinese grocery stores grew to a high of 119. The fifteen-year period between 1950 and 1965 had the highest numbers of Chinese grocery stores, averaging more than one hundred per year.
The grocery stores provided Chinese families with many benefits. They provided a livelihood for many Chinese families. In some cases, more than one family owned a store and they hired Chinese workers. One benefit for families work ing together at the stores was having quality time together. The children learned about work responsibilities, how to get along with people, how to provide out standing customer service, basic business principles, and how hard it was to earn a dollar. There was always food on their tables and the grocery stores provided the financial means for the store owners’ children to pursue new opportunities.
In addition, the City of Tucson benefitted from the Chinese grocery stores because the stores were a primary source of groceries for neighborhoods. Stores provided charge accounts so that residents could buy groceries and cash checks. Larger stores hired neighborhood workers. The stores financially supported many local and out-of-town wholesalers. The Chinese grocery stores provided a significant portion of Tucson’s sales and property taxes.
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Order your copy for pickup at TCCC or contact us to arrange for shipping. Shipping through our online store here will be available soon.
ISBN: 979-8-88747-258-4 (hardcover) - $28.95
ISBN: 979-8-88747-259-1(paperback) - $13.95
Introduction:
The American Dream for many Tucson Chinese families is to work hard and save money to build up the family finances needed for the next generation to pursue new opportunities. Chinese-owned grocery stores provided the means to pursue this American Dream.
The author’s father, Moon Chau (Raymond), immigrated to Tucson, Arizona from Toishan, China in July 1941 to pursue the American Dream. Moon worked at his uncle’s grocery store until he was drafted into the United States Armed Forces and served in the US Army-Air Force (1942–46). He returned to Tucson and worked at two grocery stores. The author’s mother, June, immigrated to Tucson from Toishan, China in October 1947.
For nine years, Moon and June sold groceries from the back of their truck to customers living in rural Arizona and on the Tohono O’odham Reservation before renting Lim Yuen Market and later renaming the store Raymond’s Market. After a year, Moon and June realized that there was not enough income to support the family; they needed to look for another grocery store. Meanwhile, Moon re turned to selling groceries from his truck to customers on the Tohono O’odham Reservation while June ran the store and took care of their two sons, Howard and Wesley. In 1960, they rented Right-way Market and later bought the market. They operated the market for twenty-seven years (1960–87) before retiring.
Howard began working at Right-way Market when he was in the sixth grade and continued to work at the store for several years after he got his first full-time job. Wesley worked at the store until their parents retired in 1987. The income from the store paid for most of Howard’s and Wesley’s university education expenses. Both became pharmacists.
There are five sections in the book. The first section describes the Chinese in Tucson (mid-1870s to 2010). The next section describes the Tucson Chinese Community that supported the Chinese grocery store owners and their families. The third section provides an overview of the Chinese-owned grocery stores. The fourth section features Chinese grocery truck and store stories told by community members (Appendices A–D) and the final section lists the Chinese grocery stores in Tucson [1881–1991] (Appendix F).
The Chinese immigrants arrived in Tucson in the mid-1870s, more than three and a half decades before Arizona became a state in 1912. The Tucson Chinese population grew from 159 in 1880 to 3,619 in 2010. The Tucson Chinese community provided the support immigrants needed to overcome the language, cultural, and discrimination barriers to becoming successful.
Chinese-owned grocery stores had been a vital part of the Chinese and Tucson communities. The grocery stores significantly impacted the financial well-being of both communities. In 1881, there were two Chinese goods stores in Tucson, and by 1955 Chinese grocery stores grew to a high of 119. The fifteen-year period between 1950 and 1965 had the highest numbers of Chinese grocery stores, averaging more than one hundred per year.
The grocery stores provided Chinese families with many benefits. They provided a livelihood for many Chinese families. In some cases, more than one family owned a store and they hired Chinese workers. One benefit for families work ing together at the stores was having quality time together. The children learned about work responsibilities, how to get along with people, how to provide out standing customer service, basic business principles, and how hard it was to earn a dollar. There was always food on their tables and the grocery stores provided the financial means for the store owners’ children to pursue new opportunities.
In addition, the City of Tucson benefitted from the Chinese grocery stores because the stores were a primary source of groceries for neighborhoods. Stores provided charge accounts so that residents could buy groceries and cash checks. Larger stores hired neighborhood workers. The stores financially supported many local and out-of-town wholesalers. The Chinese grocery stores provided a significant portion of Tucson’s sales and property taxes.