Abstract Angela Ng immigrated to the United States in 1970 from Hong Kong and worked as a unionized garment worker for over 25 years. In the interview, she describes her work and experience as a garment worker, and talks about the changes happening in the garment industry. She also discusses union benefits, work conditions, family life for workers, pay, and job availability. On September 11th, 2001, Angela was working at the garment factory when she noticed a plane fly too low overhead and heard an...

Abstract Anne Ho is a longtime resident of Chinatown in New York City. Ho reflects on how her family moved to the United States and her early childhood growing up in Chinatown. She discusses the garment factory her mother worked at along with her daily routine living in Chinatown. She continues the discussion of garment factories by stating their importance of Chinatown during her childhood along with how Chinatown has changed overall. She then goes to discuss the development of Confucius Plaza and...

Abstract Billy and Duyen Chang are originally immigrants from Hong Kong and Vietnam respectively who grew up in the U.S. and now live in the D.C. Metro area. They both faced challenges while assimilating to American life and culture, most notably in learning English, but they were both able to fully adjust to life in the U.S. after their initial transition periods. When their families immigrated to the U.S. (Duyen’s family moved to the suburbs of Chicago, while Billy’s originally moved to Miami) they...

Abstract Ni Biying talks about her experiences growing up in China and her experience with food over the years as she survives the Japanese invasion from an early age and moves to the US to find work during her adulthood. She imparts interesting knowledge about the regional cuisine from Fujian, China (Fujianese food) and gives insight into the types of food eaten from her rural roots in China. She describes food eaten during times of poverty as well as the difficulties she experiences while trying to...

Abstract Cara Stadler is a Chinese American chef. She was raised in Massachusetts and grew up biracial in a predominately white community. Her mother is of Chinese descent. As Stadler grew older, her interest in cooking led to her training in French cuisine. She studied under Gordon Ramsay. Afterwards, she worked in different parts of East Asia including China and Singapore. After living and working in China, she moved back to the U.S. in 2011 and opened her first restaurant in Maine, called Tao...

Abstract Recently appointed the Acting Assistant Principal of the Princeton High School, Cecilia Birge has also had extensive experience working in local politics, once serving as the mayor of Montgomery township, After emigrating from Beijing, China many years ago, Cecilia currently sees herself as being a Chinese-American as well as a proud democrat. Cecilia has long stay connected with the Chinese communities, citing that she could not have won her former mayorship with just the Chinese support,...

Abstract Cecilia Chiang her incredible life story from wartime China all the way to becoming a restaurant owner in New York City. Her interview is riddled with her fascinations towards Chinese cuisine as she narrates the role Chinese cuisine has made during the turbulent events of her life, from her journey to Chongqing during the Japanese invasion of China to her time in Japan. She expresses her fondness of Chinese cuisine through a genuine desire to share the wonderful variety of Chinese food as...

Abstract Chris Chan is a Chinese immigrant who works for the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA). Born in China, Chris moved to Macau at two years of age following the Communist takeover of China. During his young adult years, he worked as a construction laborer in Hong Kong during the 1970s and 80s construction boom before being sponsored by his sister to immigrate to the United States in 1984. Chris describes the various construction and labor jobs he took on in the early years, the differences...

Abstract Chris Yeo sits down with MOCA to talk about his experience leaving Singapore and coming to the US where he opened a series of successful restaurants. He explains his journey from opening a salon to becoming a restaurateur and several of the things that he’s learned about cooking for American patrons. He discusses his family and how his cooking stems from a desire to please people. Chris also shares some anecdotes about his experience on Food Network and speaking at the Smithsonian...