New York City Jews and Chinese Restaurants

Introduction: Background of Chinese Migration and introduction of cuisine to New York City.

- Chinese (7,000 by 1890) migrated to Five Points of lower Manhattan between 1880-1920. Previously, the Chinese people mainly immigrated to California where the Gold Rush promised an abundance of jobs.

-White laborers however began to grow hostile towards these immigrants who were extremely efficient and willing to work longer hours with less pay, and began demanding legislation such as the Foreign Miner’s Tax, which forced immigrants who were not citizens (all Chinese at this time) to pay a $3.00 tax each month to work in the mines.

-Through fear of mob violence and taxation, many Chinese began to specialize in less competitive job markets such as the railroad industry, laundry facilities and eventually the food industry.

-“These men laid the tracks to the heart of the gold rush, rolled cigars, and toiled in the textile industry, planning to return with their saved paychecks” wrote author Hanna Miller.

-The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 in California, as well as other discriminatory labor laws, forced laborers to lose their ability to gain citizenship in the United States or bring relatives to the country to join them, because it barred any more Chinese from immigrating to the country. Over time, many decided to move east where there was more ethnic diversity and job opportunity.

The Exotic China Town: The mass migration of Chinese peoples to lower Manhattan soon attracted great attention from New Yorkers. Their exotic language, cultural practices and religion intrigued New Yorkers so much that guided tours of China Town were given by policemen.

-Policeman Cornelius Willemse describes how many myths began to surface about the Chinese culture and stated the following, “Visitors are more or less a nuisance in Chinatown and a good many times they’re disappointed. For they’ve built up such fantastic ideas of what goes on down there that if they don’t see a few Chinamen disappearing down traps in the pavement pursued by somebody with a hatchet or a long carved knife, they haven’t had any fun and go home disappointed”.

-As myths of rats or dog in the food died down, many of New York began flocking to China Town by the 1920’s spurring the rise of Chinese cuisine in our society.

-Soon even Presidents were rumored to be ordering Chinese Chow Mein and the like, causing the industry (processed Chinese foods) to explode by the 1950’s bringing in $20 million in 1955.

Why did the attendance of Chinese Restaurants become such a staple in Jewish Culture in America?

1. Chinese Food was always available, conveniently located, and it was inexpensive for the average worker.

-Before unionization of industries, laws against child labor, etc. most citizens and especially immigrants of New York City were living at or below the level of poverty.

-Chinese Restaurants were far less expensive than the other more abundant French restaurants at the time.

-Forced into becoming bankers, and businessman in Europe where they were often prevented from owning land and farming, Jews have always been known for their ability to save and be frugle with their money. Culturally, it could be argued that they were prone to liking these restaurants because it was so cheap.

-2 million Jews by 1880 had immigrated to the United States, and ¾ of them lived or passed through the Lower East Side of New York, which was quite close to China Town (Miller 40).

- Most importantly, Chinese restaurants were never closed on Christian holidays or days of Sabbath. Jews still today, can be found on Christmas Eve at Chinese Restaurants which are never closed!

“Jewish women who had labored over two large Sabbath meals by the time the sun set Saturday night were likely eager to let someone else do the cooking, and chop suey shops were ready to help,” wrote Miller (Miller 40).

2. Both Chinese and Jews occupied lower rung in society, and were persecuted for their religious customs and traditions.

-As mentioned, both had been forced into job markets because of their ethnicity. They were therefore similar in that they had experienced great discrimination.

“While white immigrants[in California] arrogantly viewed themselves as rational, virtuous, civilized, libidinally controlled, and Christian, the Chinese were perceived as irrational, morally inferior, savage, lustful, and heathen,” wrote Tomas Almaguer (Almaguer 159).

-Chinese were therefore independent of Christian society, being viewed also as outsiders, making Jews feel more comfortable in their restaurants.

-Italien restaurants often displayed pictures of the Virgin Mary and were taught in previous eras to be anti-Semetic through Catholic doctrine. They were not as tolerant as the Chinese during this time of Jews.

3. “Safe Treyf” and the use of Trinity.

-Rules of eating Kosher were very strict and followed by most Jews during the early 20^th century. There were laws on how one should store their food (keeping meat and dairy separate), what animals were acceptable to eat, and even how these animals should be killed.

-Chinese restaurants according to Gaye Tuchman and Harry Levine offered Jews safe kosher food because most of the unkosher meat such as any shell-fish or pork were chopped up, stir-fried, and mixed with many different vegetables and spices, becoming therefore unrecognizable when eating.

-Chinese food also did not mix dairy products with meat which was also forbidden, and possibly offensive to the Jewish palate.

-Garlic, onions, salt chicken broth were staples of Jewish cuisine and Chinese cuisine.

4. Jews have been known for their appreciation of culture and desire to be worldly.

- It has been argued that because Jews have been persecuted for so many centuries, they have developed a unique desire to be open-minded.

- Education is highly valued in Jewish society, as over 80 percent of Jews graduate from undergraduate college, also causing them to be more experimental with their cuisine and culture.