The Untold Story Of America's Southern Chinese [Chinese Food: An All-American Cuisine, Pt. 2] | AJ+
There's a rather unknown community of Chinese-Americans who've lived in the Mississippi Delta for more than a hundred years. They played an important role in the segregated South in the middle of the 20th century. Join us as we get a taste of Southern Chinese food and learn about the unique history of the Delta Chinese.
Watch Part 1: How Chop Suey Saved San Francisco's Chinatown • How Chop Suey Saved Sa...
Watch Part 3: Inside The Chinese Food Mecca Of Los Angeles • Inside The Chinese Foo...
Resources:
“The Mississippi Chinese: Between Black and White” by James W. Loewen
“Southern Fried Rice: Life in a Chinese Laundry in the Deep South” by John Jung
“Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton: Lives of Mississippi Delta Chinese Grocers” by John Jung
“Water Tossing Boulders: How a Family of Chinese Immigrants Led the First Fight to Desegregate Schools in the Jim Crow South” by Adrienne Berard
Special Thanks:
Adrienne Berard
Audra Ang
John Jung
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I'm in New Orleans Just tell them to invite me for dinner. That made me hungry.
AJ+ I just watched your video and thought it was excellent! I subscribed immediately. I'm looking forward to watching what else you have to offer!
AJ+ Louisiana Filipinos Oldest Asian American community. Will you do a video on them?
She won't... A lot of Chinese people think Filipino's aren't Asian... We don't need her to make us feel good about our(Filipino Americans) success in the US... My family has been in the US since 1910. Her installment about Chinese food in LA, she didn't even visit LA's China Town. She went to the Hipster SGV (and bait and switch and said it was LA) . It's more inline with her 'Millenidiot snowflake' ideal...
My friend in College told me that Filipino's are the most successful Asian American minority, I asked him why, he said, They have a Miss America now. That was in 2001, Angela Perez Baraquio. Haha. My friend is Chinese American and Japanese American descent from Hawaii. I'm Filipino American from California. But we're just AMERICAN...
There's something adorable about an old Chinese women with a deep fried southern accent
Yeah but you realize there’s something not so adorable about what you said right... Why do u have to address “Chinese” women? If they were white would you still make the same statement addressing them as German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish women? Think about that for a second, if you wouldn’t then I’m sorry but you are hands down 100% racist...
its so weird
@@vic_0315 hm I dont understand how its racist but okay
phayke If you think it’s just the accent that’s weird then no that’s NOT racist. But if you think it’s the fact that an Asian/Chinese person has that accent is what’s weird, then that’s most certainly racist in every way there is, or at least being racially discriminatory....
Vic su wtf you are extremely sensitive
That accent just shook my soul.
right?!??!
I'm half Korean from Alabama I sound the same Roll Tide
+Chuck Tilley you are half korean? How's your Korean mum right now? Does she still love your dad?
+Chuck Tilley your dad was the first generation of Koreanboo, what your mum think about KPOP?
I went to school in Arkansas :) , with a guy from India and he has this accent...
The deep southern accent makes me realize that this is their home. These communities are where they grew up. Made friends. Knew love. Knew heartbreaks. Laughs, cries, shared stories and delicious food. Southern culture shouldn't only mean the confederacy. This side of southern culture is underrated and needs to be known.
Absolutely!!!
i like the south the laid back attitude of people.
Lol definitely, i 2nd that!! (I'm literally just learning about their beautiful piece of history today!! 👀😂🧐🤗)
Asians are oppressed,no?
@@g.3581 u said “Asians” then said look at “China” 🤣
"We don't look like American people?" -cuts to grandpa wearing Ole Miss hat driving a bass fishing boat
FR
he sporting that incredible accent too lol
Well at least he's so old he can pretty much blend in appearance wise with everyone else on that river
Looks american to me
American af. The South is the American spirit...the good, bad, and ugly. I love it.
I thank the Chinese in the Delta. They helped my mothers family for sure. My mother would tell me how they would allow my grandmother to buy on credit so they could eat. In tears! Thank you!
That is really interesting. Should be part of the documentary. They didn't interview any of the former customers, neighbors, teachers etc. from these area.
How nice....Too bad the kindness and decency isn't reciprocated in the present era: kzhead.info/channel/PLWVh98WpUeP1fcFOHmPWApkiUO3_YHh_1.html
I am Loation, I agree with your comment but you can easily reverse that and state that blacks don't like Asians either so what is your point?
dumpyou dinoun ....you better thanks God that you born into a white family so you can feel so proud about it, lol ...thanks God for it.
Thats hard working black generations before entitlements.
“Are we always foreigners?” That was very impactful for me.
As a Hispanic (Mexican heritage) with family having US (TN) roots going back 3 generations, it used to bother me when someone would call me Mexican or assume I was from an immigrant (possibly illegal) family. The Southern US was all I knew yet I was still viewed as an outsider. But as I got older I realized that it wasn’t about hate or racism, it was simply because I looked different than other southerners. Why wouldn’t they assume I was different (Occam’s Razor)? The Italians dealt with the same thing for many, many generations, as did the Irish. It’s the nature of immigration. Someone, many years ago, traded life as an “insider” for a chance to build something better in a foreign land as an outsider. The beauty of America is that you can be viewed as an outsider and still be successful. I realized it’s much more rewarding for people to respect me for my accomplishments and how I conduct myself than because I look like them.
It is racism...what’s an American supposed to look like ?White is what they are thinking....
Yes, next question
Imagine asking this as a non-Han in China 😂
@@cmbw4792 yeah but china isn't a land built by immigrants. the US is.
"Southern style Chinese food" sounds absolutely amazing.
I live in the South, and am a Chinese. I am going to make some Southern style Chinese food
@@WWCAPY ok. Pls Upload some videos about Southern Chinese food to You Tube. I want to learn it.
Tastes even better. I was stationed in Biloxi and went up to the Delta frequently...but the food is good all over the state. One of the few positives of my time there.
What an idea for a restaurant! I mentioned in another comment how well (south) Chinese and SE Asian cuisine blend due to the climate similarities.
Fried bullets and AR jerky
She ain’t Chinese, she’s American. Do you look at every white person and say they’re German? Do you look at every black person and say they’re Kenyan? These guys are hardcore Americans.
This what US media do, all time bringing race. As a non-US citizen, I'm fed up with that crap.
Ranjan Biswas Exactly man. While I think the USA isn’t perfect when it comes to racism, the beauty should be that we don’t define an American by their skin colour.
@@ranjanbiswas3233 This is exactly right, the media is obsessed with race and it only further divides us. If you were born here or became naturalized you're American.
Jj Wetwor Then I get we respectfully disagree on the concept of “American,” because if you wanna go to the history books, I’d classify Natives as real “Americans.” Plus, how do you know if someone’s family members were among the first settlers? What if a European immigrant came when they were 2 and grew up in America as a citizen? I’d classify him as an American as opposed to a European American just like how I’d classify these guys as Americans instead of Asian American. Just because you’re white, doesn’t automatically make you an American and just because you’re not white doesn’t mean you’re not an American. Plus, the Chinese, Poles, Mexicans, etc all contributed into building America to what it is today. That’s why everyone who’s an American citizen is an American, not just the founding fathers and whichever Europeans they brought here first.
Yes, but they have ancestry. I’m Italian, American now, but I don’t want to bury my heritage and ancestry because of that.
Loooool Chinese lady with southern accent is everything
I know right. I can finally sleep in peace lol
Yea buddy, people tend to do that.
People Evil obviously you egghead
Chinese dude with a strong Scottish accent is weirder... and that's coming from a Thai guy with an apparently posh English accent...
Even though I'm from the south, I've actually never heard a Chinese person with a southern accent... So, yeah, I agree.
What I love about them is that they completely embrace their American culture without forgetting the Chinese culture
I came here for this comment
That's very much what Asians do. Culture is so important.
Black people in amerikkka would have held on to more African traditions too if they weren’t restricted from it
@@jumobeats9002 tell me your traditions
@@davidjoelsson4929 I tend to associate the Chinese communities in the States with San Francisco and New York more than the American South (not that I've ever been to the States). Interesting documentary!
This near made me cry, I'm chinese and I have both black and white siblings, so I usually feel like I'm not allowed to be upset about racism against chinese people. It's always about black history in my house. Thank you for making me feel validated.
Hannah B you should never have to feel like you have to deny your identity. Sorry that this happens to you.
Cry away and let those feelings out!! You have every right to your feelings about the very real racism against Chinese people. I cried when I first saw this video two years ago, and it stemmed my stance in standing up for my heritage and learning more about the Asian American history that is often silenced in America. I still come back to watch this video sometimes because of how big of an impact it's had on me appreciating growing up being Chinese in America.
Always gotta speak up for your own 👍
Please please dont feel this way... im sorry the politics of america tend to wash over our asian american brothers and sisters and the hurt they face. You history is just as important. Your pain is just a valid. ❤ Share with your siblings because im sure they would love to hear it. I wish you peace and love.
I too felt the same way about discrimination faced against South Asians, Asian American discrimination exists never forget that
I am a Chinese that moved from New York to Louisiana 7 years ago and I am glad that I found this video. Helps me appreciate the southern beauty as a first generation Asian american.
First generation? Meaning fresh off the boat?
Damn that Chinese lady sound very southern that's how you know where you grow up has a very big difference
she sexy asf too
@@greenelephant1231 some of that Chinese granny punanny
@@francismeowgannou5322 bruhhhh
I think she's faking it.
Chenster24 kzhead.info/sun/f6aTntJ5nIFvm3k/bejne.html
Shout out to Ming Sang grocery in Greenville, ms. I have so many childhood memories with my grandmother there.
Really? Damnn
Mr Wong's Foodland represent homie, u want beef? Seriously Mr Wong's got some nice beef man.
Are people in Mississippi racist? I never been to the south I’m sorry if that’s offensive😅
@@arif5873 Aint gon lie sorta yes.
Arif anyone can be racist anywhere.
This is the first time I have every seen a Chinese person with a southern accent it’s so amazing!
How about a Chinese person with a Jamaican accent. There are Chinese all over the Caribbean, whose parents came in the 1840s, after black complexioned people were freed, to work the sugarcane plantations. They were mostly ethnic Hakka from Southeast China.
@@franklinchinquee8762 I’m from the Caribbean I had Chinese neighbors I didn’t see them as Chinese though only Trini. I guess as a child I didn’t think much about these things. I also have family who are mixed with Chinese as well.
I'm from and was born in Greenville Mississippi. This video speaks facts. I guarantee you I could tell you the names of the Chinese Stores. I was born in 1960. And guess what. We did not call Chinese Asians, we call them Orientals because that's what we heard the whites say. But blacks saw the chinese as one of us and were very welcomed by our communities
In the UK some still say orientals because asians usually refers to those from the middle East and countries around the Indian subcontinent as opposed to esst-asians
Blacks in the Delta aren't particularly like by other Blacks (including those in the Delta) and for good reason!
You called them Orientals because you saw them as that, same as whites. Don't try to pretend black people gave them a better welcome
@@RaizanMedia no race is innocent lol
Chinese people hate black people. It’s in their culture
The Chinese have never gotten their fair share of credit for building this country. Our railroads would never have been built without them which means we sure as hell wouldnt be where we are today.
Hans611 oh so when Chinese ask for recognition, we need to get off our high horse, but what black history month and affirmative action make you? Get off your throne
Alaskan Mandingo Bet you make your family real proud boy.
+vanos they built the easy part (from the east) and they were slackers.
Ironic that your on KZhead then. Since a Chinese probably built your phone and a Chinese built the website your using now.
vanos no Chinese actually did and a lot of them died.
Wow, they fed the black community when no one else would. Deep respect to the Asian community for that.
Kandyce Rogers it has nothing to do with humanity. It was purely economical.
Kandyce Rogers and they also benefited from black patronage, give and take don’t forget that.
@Robert Ratskywatsky The Chinese assimilated well into U.S. society. The blacks are still struggling based on the culture they embrace. In the 17th and 18th century, if you had Aztecs and other indigninous cultures in Mexico and Central America wanting to come to the colonies to work as is the case today, there would not be a racial divide so intense. Blacks would have remained in Africa....but the mindset of the Native Central Americans at the time was that working in the fields was beneath them and they were fiercely independent.
@Robert Ratskywatsky your most defiantly full of shit on that dood.. GTFOHWTBS trying to get people to hate on each other ... WE SEE YOU TROLL
@@difencrosby It had had EVERYTHING to do with humanity. These same AMERICAN people of Chinese descent ALSO PURPOSELY sat in the balcony with blacks in the movie theater when the Chinese were finally allowed to even go to the theater and sit with whites! Nothing economical about being paid 6 months later and having to front the money. You think it was easy in the late 1800's and early 1900's to run a grocery store? This is not today's small business owner with tax incentives! Unfortunately people like you are the people that want to be divisive and know nothing about history and can't learn from good things that happened in the past. The contributions of the early Chinese to American civilization are HUGELY significant and people not knowing about them leads to people that make comments like yours.
You can just feel the southern hospitality in Freida's voice and the way she conducts herself. She's very sweet.
Wow, stories like these are so fascinating.. love learning about how food served as a bridge to connect people and cross cultures
I'm a black woman raised in the south and I have never met a Chinese American person who sounds like a member of my family before. But when that lady started talking at 1:34 I was like "Aunt Geraldine???" I swear she sounds just like my aunt and my jaw just about hit the floor. I've never really considered before the contributions Chinese Americans have made to places other than either the east or west coasts of the US but it makes sense that they would be in the Delta too raising families and becoming part of southern history and culture. This video is great, thanks for teaching me something!
I can learn that accent from KZhead in China
The best food I ever got out of dumpster was on the dock of NYNY in Vegas. One of them resturants in there was throwing away some damn good steaks. You have to be careful though, security pops out there for a smoke every now and then. And also its a compactor, so you could get crushed. But I got a lot of good food out of there.
Really? This is so odd to me that this is odd to others. I'm black. I've known chinese Mississippians, Vietnamese Louisianians...etc.
@Michael Gilmore I live in Mississippi, in a town that borders TN, and I can guarantee you there are black and white southerners who speak this way.
@Michael Gilmore she's got a white southern accent not black
That southern twang is STRONG and I am living for it. She sounds like the kinda granny that would lead you inside, say you need some meat on your bones and then drown everything in gravy for you. This video made me very hungry and also made me disappointed that so many people would assume an Asian person is automatically fresh off the boat. Did people sleep through the Gold Rush section of their history class?
they aren't teaching these kids shit in public school
facts
the sad thing is I learned that on my own time bc they DIDN'T teach it at school
@@nicolejo6934 sad to hear that but i learned about this in my history class in middle school and high school
@@johnwilson7769 because aryans were enslaved longer than blacks including jews yet we don't hear shit about that Tyrone
I’m originally from Alabama and Sally’s southern accent is SO MUCH STRONGER than mine, I love it!
They never left the deep south at all
I get the feeling it's amped up a little more than blacks and whites of the same area for the sake of fitting in.
@@alZiiHardstylez nah, that’s genuinely how people speak here. My accent has always been faint, I never really was a “southern boy.”
@@ITGOES80808 Oh fair enough.
Lol stop it :) i think Alabama & the Carolinas have the most distinct southern accents of any southern states. Ive worked in retail & casinos & i knew a person was from Alabama almost immediately
I was hypnotize by the Asian woman with a southern accent 🤗
i know right
you mean Country accent
Southern accent is exotic to Mainland China
"honey, are you ornamental? " "sometimes!" I'm taking that one.
I live in Texas but was born in the Philippines. About 15 years ago A elderly man asked Me if I was from Korea, (In My best fake southern ascent) I said "Naw, I'm from Alabama".
Bahaha lmfao I got half Korean buddy I made in trade school he always does that shit he went to a trump event and this guy was screaming oppression and he's a racist and he's like "OHH MY GOD IM SO OPPRESSED HALF KOREAN HALF WHITE BUT RED BLOODED AMERICAN" 😂😂😂
@@SherryPM72 Philippines represent. From Manila here. Hope everythin's fine over ther amid the CoViD19 scare... (My fake southern accent) Y'all take care now, ok? 😉
sorry, may I ask what does it mean? ornamental? All I can recall is Christmas ornament ; English is not my mother language, so couldn't follow that mean joke(I assume)
Lia3349 the white lady meant to say “oriental”
As a Chinese American born and raised in NY, hearing about the Chinese exclusion act is a sobering reminder of my people's journey, and it is more important now than ever to stay vigilant. I love SF Chinatown, and would love to go down South and visit these ladies as well.
Listening to him pray, he sounded just like my grandfather. That was exactly how he sounded. We are all family!
Chinese with southern accents? I love it!!!
Nishia Boo I'm Chinese American from Indiana. And I met an Chinese American from Starkville, MS. (aka StarkVegas). And he had a Southern drawl.
this is the best accent ever haha!
Thanks
they still sound similar to southern white-american women, not black-american
One thing I've seen even crazier was Chinese people from Jamaica. So cool!
Its Ironic that I've heard Asians speaking with various European accents, Caribbean accents, hell even one with with a middle eastern accent and didn't flinch. Yet of all things I hear an Asian American with a strong southern accent and I'm like; "Yo, WTF!???" :))
[RoRy] it’s probably cause you associate Asians with intelligence and people with southern accents not intelligent. It’s like a paradox
no, i think is because media, like movies, often portray southerners as white.
George H yup. That’s it. And media portrays Asians with asian accents. That’s why (like this lady stated) people look at her and wonder how she knows English 🤦🏻♀️
I felt the same way.
Actually most of my family and cousin that are in the south and even me i have an country accent
And people laugh at me when I tell them the best Chinese food restaurant I've ever been to was in Greenville Mississippi. Best tamales too. The Delta is such a unique place. I'm in Houston now, and there was a little Mexican restaurant in tiny, one red-light, Bruce Mississippi, that blows away any place I've ever been in Texas. I was a military brat, and grew up all over the country. But my Grandparents were born and raised in Greenville ( both passed over 20 years ago). As a kid, I spent every summer at their place. Hearing that accent again really brings back the memories. It's so distinctive, and you just don't hear anything quite like it anywhere else in the south, only in the Delta. The timbre and tone of Frieda Quon's voice 1:35 is almost identical to my grandmother's. Coupled with that Greenville accent, gave me goosebumps for a minute there.
Similarly enough I still remember that the best duck noodle soup that I had was at a Chinese restaurant in the middle of nowhere in Montana. Never underestimate rural areas!
My parents came for America to seek better life and we started a grocery store in a nice town in Northern California, but one day one woman rob and shot my farther and he died after rush to hospital. That was 30 years ago. I still miss my farther so much and the love and hard work he taught me. It made me stronger and never stop loving this land and people. God bless America!!❤
I’m so sorry you lost your father, I can tell he really loved his family ❤
I am so sorry that happened to you.
After 30 years, the lady who shot my father finally caught, and thanks my neighbor stand out to testify my father’s shooting. Thanks our judicial system never give up my father case! God bless America!!
I'm 25 years old and I'm 100% positive that I was never taught about the Chinese in the delta region. I appreciate lessons like this because I know American education system is lack.
Lily J. Thomas Textbooks can only pack in so much. I'd be much happier if people had a true understanding of the Indian Wars, Vietnam, etc. It wasn't until I committed dozens of hours later in life that I learned that what we learn in school is based on class, packaged narratives. That's a problem when these events are defining to our culture. So while this is an interesting story, it is no more significant than any other left out.
Hell I was born and raised just south of the delta and I had no idea they existed up there.
Lily J. Thomas 40 years old here....grew up in Georgia and have never been taught this either. Highly appreciate it.
Lily J. Thomas So, why can't you take any initiative yourself? School can't teach you the history of every little community in the US and elsewhere, unless you want to be in school until you're 40.
The Asian American experience doesn't count and doesn't matter. They will ALWAYS be the eternal foreigners - NEVER American. Remember that.
The interviewer is so damn beautiful 💕 and hearing the Chinese woman with a deep southern accent always shocks me 🤣
Ebony W. When i see blacks speak perfect white English on news thats pretty much how i can relate to what you say. The difference is these Chinese American are genuine while these black news reporter and anchor is on act for the job.
smlbcity23 uh, okay sure 🙄🙃
How are they suppose to talk/speak? every Black person don't have the same type of accent
willie417 it wasn't my intentions to come off ass ignorant or racist it just my first time seeing a southern Asian. I never said it was a bad thing or weird, just interesting and unique. Sorry if i offended any one!
that wasn't directed toward you
I love their southern twang, sometimes as a Mexican raised in Mississippi I feel embarrassed of my accent and this makes me so proud ❤
Donde en Mississippi ? Lol. Don't answer.
I prefer Texas over Mississippi.
Everybody has an accent. A friend of mine from S/F Bay suburb once said, "I don't have an accent". I retorted, go say that to some Brits and Aussies and let me know what you get. We lived in Tokyo and was teaching English at the time so it wouldn't have been difficult for him to realize he was being egocentric.
I was born and raised in the south and to see her and then hear her talk is absolutely beautiful! God bless the south!!!!
I must say, it is quite refreshing to see a fellow Chinese speaking in impeccable Southern Accent.
She's american too!!!
obiwan88 how refreshing having their culture stripped from them by Massa.
@@progressiveguy9959 That's the quintessential point why there's Chinese everywhere in the world. We adapt to suit our environments if that is what it takes to survive.
@@progressiveguy9959 ...WHEN IN ROME......
obiwan88 My point is it shouldn't take that to survive.
Their southern accents are awesome. I'm Asian and was raised in Texas. When I joined the military people would ask "are you from Texas?" I would say yes why? It was because of my Texas drawl. Lol.
lol...Asian and with a texas drawl,....What could be COOLER than that?!! :D
Joe Serrano Well I don’t think I have it anymore. 20 years in the military and living in California changed my accent.
jrh0369 stfu Donald said your out
Saul Garcia *you’re*
yep same here. Asian born here and raised in Texas but lived here in CA. Once in awhile Ill get comments about my Texan accent.
Thank you so much for this, being Chinese in San Gabriel Valley in the 90s isn't so easy but you folks been in United States for over century is unimaginable. I can say if wasn't from you folks we would have been treated worst. God Bless you and stay safe!
Many of my relatives who came over in the 40s and 50s opened Chinese restaurants in remote cities like Grand Junction, Colorado; Topeka, Kansas; and Lubbock, Texas, where there wasn't any competition. My cousins worked their parents' restaurants growing up, 7 days a week, but it paid for their college tuition (three of my cousins from the same family went to USC, a fairly expensive private school).
Southern styled Chinese food, I'm there!
I need that in my life so badly!!
Its soo good i live in ATL rn but i was born in Mississippi...they got the best Chinese food💯
As a Black American this was truly an eye opener. Thanks for sharing this AJ+
Peter Connell This person is literally thanking the publisher for sharing a video that absolved them of ignorance in this subject. Do you take some sort of issue with that?
Peter Connell most American kids were asleep in history class
OceanBlue they're still viewed as foreigners, glad them not playing victim has ended racism 🙄
OceanBlue 6:25 👌🏽
OceanBlue old timers don't shoot unless someone gets lost and knocks on their door
Audric, retired US Army Veteran, in his boat with his fishing vest, and Ole Miss cap, talking about "fishing and enjoying the solitude with God's creation" in a deep Southern drawl is wholesome assimilation to the max.
The lady sitting on the couch with that Chinese-Southern Belle accent is EVERYTHING!!! YES MAAM!! Let them know what's what!! lol
As a Korean raised in South Georgia, it's so nice to see another Asian with a southern accent. My mom is an immigrant and still speaks in broken English, and there were very few Asians in our hometown.
I'm a Canadian born Asian and I've always wondered what life was like for Asians outside of my hometown.
한국어는 알고 계심?
Are you Christian korean or a Buddhist.
shut up
I think that Talia Lin from the ‘It’s a Southern thing’ channel once said how she has Korean descent through her grandmother
Wow! I NEVER was taught anything about the Chinese being in the Delta after slavery. The only thing I knew of was the Chinese building the railroads during the 1800's. This was VERY informative.
I love how she said "road." Only a true Southerner can turn a one syllable word into a two syllable word. This lady is every bit as Southern as my family, but even deeper South.
Can't get much deeper south than mississippi and I don't mean on a map I mean culturally
I can’t help but smile from ear to ear hearing her accent. That’s a genuine southern draw Right there folks
This was my mom's family! Grandpa ran a small grocery store in Greenville for many years, but life was hard there. They later moved to Cali. Great story. Thanks AJ+ !
Interesting story! Minus the racial segregation story, it is pretty much same as other Chinese in Nanyang (Southeast Asia) :)
Was wondering if their kids stayed near the delta or moved on to other parts of the country.
Some families stayed near the Delta, others moved away. My mom's family joined the Chinese American community in Oakland because of the size and convenience there. My grandfather also thought schools in California would be better than Mississippi.
My Mother's family is from Greenville, some of them still do! I love how small the world is.
Oh nice! So are they still there or not really? I’m from California too! Specifically from San Jose haha
Chinese with southern accents...i can die smiling
Are you Khmer?
guitrich Khmer? I hardly knew her
When I was doing my undergrad course I met an American Indian ethnic girl from Arizona who speaks with a strong southern accent. Guess, how surprised I was and it was almost impossible to hide my amusement and shock
I love this series so much. This is wholesome!! Please make more videos like this. We as Asian Americans are often misjudged and U.S. history books don’t teach us enough about what REALLY happened. I’m so glad I was recommended this really educational and uplifting video during quarantine. Thanks!!
Ma'am your voice accent and values are 100% southern long with your husbands, your lifestyles are southern, you are southern and this video made me smile so thank you.
They have such a different look and vibe from Chinese elsewhere in America. You never see or hear about multi-generation Chinese Americans in the very deep South. Love their clothing style, jewelry, and home decor. They're extremely Southern, though - there doesn't seem to be much Chinese in them other than the food they're cooking. They seem like well-off people in the Deep South, and very classy and elegant.
That's how delta people are...think of Old plantation money...in the 1800's. The mississippi river flowing by...The mississippi Delta is a unique place.
Your comment is the exact problem that this video is highlighting-- being Chinese is apart of their identity, however the only way they could've survived was by sacrificing all other parts of their Chinese culture. The only thing they could retain was their food. While you may love their style, jewelry, and home decor, it's still quite ignorant to say "they have such a different look and vibe from Chinese elsewhere in America". What were you expecting? There shouldn't be an expectation for how someone should look-- and the family in this video has been fighting this expectation for generations.
Mooninshy was expecting another chinese clone/drone.
Melody Yang and Rick Fountain Jr. - Chill out you guys. There was nothing in what MoonInSky said which was offensive. And he never said he was expecting anything. This fake outrage on stuff you make up in order to be pissed off is really annoying.
chamboyette853 actually, it’s the implication mooninsky made through these statements, that their southern-ness and their Chinese-ness are mutually exclusive that makes these statements problematic. It might seem harmless (and I’m sure there wasn’t any malice intended) but it should be called out. The fact that they are “classy and elegant” shouldn’t have anything to do with whether the person is Chinese or Southern - are southern people supposed to be classier, and therefore is there a preconceived notion that Chinese people are not? “There doesn’t seem to be much Chinese in them besides their food” - what is the Chinese-ness that’s implied here? And what is the measurement of one’s culture and ethnicity? It’s like saying: they’re very southern, and there doesn’t seem to be much African American in them besides their food - which is a ridiculous statement to make at all. Saying that they are different from other Chinese people from the other parts of America, I think is fair because I don’t expect everyone to be the same regardless of where they are from. But raising their race, stating they are different from other people of similar race & noting their southern-ness, then following that with them being well-off and classy and elegant has certain implications, which are very real. Addressing it and questioning our own internal biases, is a way we can grow in our humanity and empathy.
Oh Lordy! I luv it. "Are you Ornamental?" Response: "Well, sometimes!" Classic. These people -- these trailblazing Chinese Americans who weathered all this b.s., suffered, persevered and came out ahead -- are phenomenal and heroic in their own way. Real salt-of-the-earth warriors and role models for us all, especially the current generation of Asian Americans..
gotwa229 first I heard that but another part of me said 'on a metal' which I believe means on drug... Could we get another pair of ears? Lol...
Mo' - Are you American? No. Are you familiar with the southern dialect. No. Her pronunciation is a classic southern drawl that is indigenous to the Deep South and the Mississippi Delta. Ornamental would be pronounced "Awn-ah-mayn-tul," i.e., ornamental. "On a metal" simply doesn't make any sense and belies the actual context of her comment. Stick to what you know Mo'.
Lol I just realized that the lady meant to say oriental
I thought she said "on a medal", like she was a war bride or something.
isn't that insane? cause of the chinese exclusion act and troubles asians had with naturalizing until 1965, all we know more of are asian immigrants/children of asian immigrants. i always get a little shocked when i see asian parents/older asians without asian accents
Can we all just agree that an old Chinese woman with a southern accent is the cutest thing anybody's ever seen?
Miss Sally is so cute! I love her! I hope all the folks in this video are doing well.
What does an American look like? They are in this video.
Want The Real Answer. Go Visit Any RESERVATION. OR POW WOW.
A-me-ri-can - A person whose ancestors came through Ellis Island who usually only speaks English and doesn't have a passport. J/k, LoL.
@@fawkes1570health I THOUGHT THOSE WERE CALLED W.O.P.S...
Native Americans..... white , black and chinnesse are invaders , that invaded our region
Holy shit everyone is the reply section is stupid. I’m sorry these idiots have polluted your comment.
My salivary glands are going nuts just finding out that there is Chinese-southern food... good gawd this must be delicious!!
I know right!!
Should visit guangdong area or at least save up some cash and go to one of the south-east asian countries there's a pretty big Cantonese community in Malaysia and Singapore. Heck, go to hong kong if you could. 😅🙏🙏
Wow! That story is similar to what my Filipino family had to endure in Manila in which Chinese store owners would put our family on credit because my grand parents had 9 children to feed. What a great sense of community!
The Chinese immigrants did the same thing when they can to the Caribbean when slavery ended. Now their descendants are some of the wealthiest people
A huge part of it is their strong family orientations. For example, asians in the USA almost never get loans from a proper bank, they will get a loan from a relative that has already "made it" and is comfortable with no interest rate. Also, the parents are very generous to their kids while the kids are still young enough to let compound interest at real banks work in their favor...they do this as a way to assure their own retirement. It's a cultural system that dovetails nicely with the traditional banking systems and allows for upward mobility.
I learned a lot about this after I discovered Tessanne Chin. Beautiful people.
@@izzybizzy3030 no its not. Its because of the Asian culture that values education, being frugal, and hard work. Unlike the Bling Bling culture.
As a Chinese person who grew up in Louisiana, this was a very interesting thing to find.
Where in Louisiana were you from?
Aye what’s up Louisiana gang
Do you experience racism there as the video shows?
Someone need to do a story on Asian Americans with the various American accents! Sign me up for the Boston accent!
Soeuth Ky Brooklyn accent!
Do you yell “Ya Freeloadahh! “ in traffic? lol 😂
Fakh youl!
sign me up with a hawaiian pidgeon accent
Imagine some old China man sounding like Bill Burr lmao
Chinese people around the world would automatically feed people who are in need of food. It is in our culture. Thus, when we greet people, we say "have you eaten yet?". That translates into English means "how are you?". When people answer "No", Chinese people will automatically offer people food to eat.
I think this is quite a typical East/South East Asian thing. “Kain tayo” (let’s eat) serves the same purpose in the Philippines.
@@joserondon7855 Malaysia too but in Malay it's jom makan.
I grew up along that line. Some of my sweet friends were first generation born Chinese American. Their grandparents owned some little stores in Lexington and cooked food in the back for take out. It was was the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten. They spoiled me and I’ve never found anything like it. Oh how I miss that accent. People up here in TN don’t have that sweet twang.
There are a lot of these small Chinese American communities spread out throughout the United States. Whenever somebody who is new to the United States says something like, "the U.S. is all the same, same Walmarts, same language, same culture..." I think of the subtleties of populations such as these. The U.S. has as complex and layered a society as any that have ever existed before.
It is because even as a Californian, or a Idahoian, or a New Yorkian, if you WERE to travel across state boundaries, you'd only really know of the gentrified and very assimilated "suburb" or "metropolitan" areas of the state/city you are visiting. The only way you could ever get a true feel for the cultural diversity within different American States is to actually know someone who either grew up there or has lived a good portion of their lives there. Which is why airbnb is a great thing for domestic culture seekers. By being able to travel to different states and be situated in the heart of RESIDENTIAL and off the beaten bath neighborhoods, you are much more likely to get at truer feeling for what type of diversity and cultural influences that specific pocket of America has to offer. Also, if people want to really breathe in the air of the local folks, get out of your damn ubers and rental cars and walk!! Get some good walking shoes and put 10-15 miles a day of urban hiking. Trust me when I say you will come across cafes/museums/parks that would have NEVER come up on any of your google searches or travel apps!
Can’t agree with the last part tho. China has a matured and quite influential Jewish neighborhood dated at least from 800 years ago. Christian, Hindu, Persian, and especially Islamic communities coexisted way before the new continent was even founded
zyxwut321 I love it hahaha melting pot ..but the Muslims scare me 😣not racist but they don’t smile much and seem really aggressive !
And any time our country goes backward on immigration. On welcoming others from different nations to this country. On accepting those huddled masses yearning to breathe free. We as a country lose out. Any time we welcome them and provide them with opportunity, their hunger and determination to live a better life adds to our society in a multitude of ways. Today, apple trees are all made from grafts. So that all we get are perfect apples of the variety that we want. But Johnny Appleseed planted apple seeds across the country. (at least through the east and midwest) He did this to provide apples to the expanding population settling further west. The apples were not perfect. Each tree had different apples and they were not meant for eating whole. They were meant for making cider. Because that was the common drink at the time besides whiskey. Like those imperfect apples, we need imperfect immigrants to spread out across our country. We need them to sustain our economic growth. To provide our society with that energy that only comes from people who know hard times and are willing to work for what they have.
Not my wife. She is a Muslim and an extrovert always bubbly. She would innocently talk to any stranger, man or woman. Her father had an influence on her and was deeply religious in the Muslim religion, but he also had his own philosophy.
The older Chinese lady with the curly hair reminds me of my grandmother. Damn it’s like I found a Chinese version of her
She has the southern granny sass too
Chinese people have made a huge contribution to the entire United States. Thank you for your sacrifice.
ABSOLUTELY Beautiful!! I am sad, maybe, even a little embarrassed to say I NEVER knew much less thought of Chinese Southern American's!! I am SO HAPPY to have found this short and VERY informative video!! These INCREDIBLE folks are AMERICAN'S!! That's the BEAUTIFUL thing about America, we ALL come in different shapes and colors with INCREDIBLY Beautiful features!! I ABSOLUTELY Love these Beautiful Ladies Southern Charm!! PURE Grace!! 🌹😍🙏🌏🌹
Can we get back to talking about the bacon-rice?
It's Chinese fried rice. You can make it with cubed ham or bacon, carrots, peas, egg, and overnight rice.
Hugh Jafro amen thank you for bringing it up I need the recipe as soon as possible LOL
how is this new to anybody. My Filipino mother been doing this for the longest. Not a hard concept.
Miri M maybe because not everyone has a Filipina mom.
Sam's Club sell fried rice with.......Bacon
these people are more american than some politicians in dc
True that.
I agree👍
Pretty sure they're Republicans, after all they're southerners, not regular minorities
Stepping on people to help yourself and wealthy friends is the most American thing I know of
Why wouldn't they be? They're like 3rd or 4th generation American
I love how they introduced the wok as a person
As a Chinese American, I thank you for making videos like this and have more people know about the Chinese American community, the history. Chinese people started moving to the US all the way back to the late 1800s, maybe even earlier, way earlier than lots of others. Just because we are not white, black, or even Hispanic looking doesn't make us one bit less American than everybody else...it is so true, that until today the Chinese, or should I say the entire Asian American community is still VERY "politically voiceless", hope that is gonna change one day. Great video !!!
@@allennguyen4456 seriously?? What the hell is that supposed to mean?? Are you seriously trying to redirect the topic from my complement to a nicely done video to a nationality debate?? Sure, I will try to move and live in Vietnam, and see if my voice will be heard...unbelievable...
Return to the motherland and live in Asia. Here you will have a voice. Let the racist whites live with their own people
I look at this video and I think it's awesome to see how different people contributed to America. As a black person, I'm proud of the contributions that African Americans have made, but I realized that contributing to America is a team effort. Some of you have tried to generalize certain groups of people not realising that every tree has its bad apples. Some have gotten upset because they feel that the video is implying that black people didn't work hard or had successful businesses. However, the video is not implying that at all because the title speaks for itself. Look at it as a saga of American history. There is the African American Saga, The Asian American Saga, The Latino American Saga, The Native American Saga, and so many more sagas of American history.
Kenya Smith Don't help when you have the police and KKK terrorizing you.
Yeah, i'm black as well and I felt kind of guilty when I was super surprised hearing the accent of that lady. The Asian minority in America isn't something I usually think about, it's stuff like this that really makes America such a great and interesting country.
Kenya Smith shut up dude Donald said your out
Saul Garcia Dude, what R U talking about?
Jess One I'm not scared of them because they are wrong in the first place. If we choose to be silent about racism, we're automatically letting the KKK win.
I lived in Hawaii for 10 years as a young man in the 80s. The first two were in Honolulu. During my first weekend there, I laid eyes on a very beautiful Asian girl, who I assumed was a Honolulu native. I took a deep breath and approached her, asking very nervously (did I say she was beautiful?) where a certain restaurant was. She tried to give me directions, but her accent shocked the heck out of me. She was a tourist visiting from Mississippi!! Her southern accent was even more pronounced than mine (I'm from Arkansas). I had never heard the southern dialect coming from someone of Asian blood, so she had a good laugh at my befuddlement ... and she picked on me all during our shared dinner together later at the restaurant. (I still think of you, Alice!)
Wholesome story!
Nice story Phil!
@@robertharrison7383 like his ancestor Genghis
Aww how sweet!
I love knowing that there are people out there who are doing the work to share our rich history. Thank you so much. I didn't learn any of this in school but I'm happy to learn it now!
WHOA....TRIPPY!! 😳 Never once in my 45 yrs have I *ever* heard Asians with a native Southern accent. I’ve never even heard of this before! Thank you, AJ+, for sharing their stories.
Y’all would freak out when y’all hear Chinese-Jamaicans 😉
One of my best friend's dad is Chinese Jamaican. :-)
I knew one once. She had a rich Jamaican accent. Chinese but born and raised in Jamaica.
NelsonClick "one"?
or Asians with British accents
My buddies stepdad had the most Chinese Jamaican name, Desmond Chung 😂
As as an American black woman I have gotten caught in the trap of black and whites in America. Thank You for the eye opener. I will definitely be doing a history on Asians in America and other races that were here already and those who came later.
Then, you should ask yourself...How on earth this Chinese couple is well off while blacks cannot .
google images, of Chinese who built the first transcontinental railroad in America 1868
@@mauricegeorge4320 Chinese do not get treated like black people. There was always an obsession with bombing and murdering successful black people. People of Color means nothing. Lineage means a lot.
Sarissa Vaughn preach
Maurice George Y’all need to stop disregarding the discrimination they face, discrimination is discrimination. They’re well off because they worked for it.
chinese diaspora is always so interesting. as a chinese, like i rllly love how they impact a lot of stuff anywhere they settle in the world ... not just delta in this case (like chinese in cuba, spain, italy, brazil, etc.) and not a lot of people are unaware of their role in society, belittle us, etc.
I'm thrown... that southern draw with these Chinese is something I wouldn't expect. God bless these people. Much love
"Are we always foreigners?" As a Malaysian of Chinese descent, this question speaks to me. There are always people who ask us to 'go back to China'.
as a person from south east asia, my experiences have led me to conclude that a lot of asia is very racist/nationalistic. we just don't want to admit it. we're not particularly xenophobic though. we don't "fear" the preconceived "outsider". we welcome them, we can even be nice to them. we just have a mental block that makes us refuse to ever accept that they're part of the family. they're forever house guests we're hospitable to.
So true,I know as an Australian married to a Chinese girl.
jenniealexxa as a Bumiputera, I'm very sorry that you've experienced that.
Just because the capital is situated in the north doesn't mean most of the members in the government are northerners, heck all the founding fathers were from Southern China (anywhere below the Huai River), but watching this makes me fear the lost of culture via assimilation, and Malaysia have some signs of this opposing people who praise Chinese outside of China as if they possess the original Chinese culture... without education anything can be lost...
Only in west malaysia. Here in east malaysia everyone is welcome
"Are we always foreigners?" A question even I ask, and I live in Pakistan. I was born in Pakistan, but still always an outsider, because of I am also Chinese.
Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin you are. If you were Pakistani ethnic born in china you would experience racism on the daily and always be an outsider.
Kavita T i agree. But that feeling of an outsider isnt cool
Nam Bo Love that answer! Haha
额，本来就是中国人啊，为什么要被认为是巴基斯坦人啊。。。
Andres Leon Pakistani is not an ethnicity. It is a country that hosts a whole range of ethnicities here.
Ms. Frieda’s drawl is the most Southern drawl I’ve ever heard. I smile every time I hear it.
Audric and Gilroy, that's some old Southern names right there.
They are true Americans, it’s about what you do not what you look that defines you.
RAY TAIWAN飽飽台灣 Taiwan No. 1!
It's when you speak in a regional US accent!
台湾第一！
Wait, did you swipe that from Batman Begins? "It's not who I am. It's what I do that defines me."
Go Spurs go
You have to admit, Chinese people are the most willing to integrate no matter where they end up. They have respect for their heritage, but also respect for where they are.
They're great immigrants. High racial i.q, a culture of work ethic. The only race(asians) to actually face systematic discrimination at the hands of affirmative action. Asians do too well economically so they are held to a higher standard when being accepted into universities.
+cerebral dome, they weren't immigrants though - the white people were. And honestly, culturally they weren't ready for for a confrontation like that.
I find rude and disrespectful mainland tourists to be annoying too. However, those that choose to stay choose to keep the peace.
Yea but those aren't the immigrants are they? Those are the noveau riche from China with the recent boom in their economy and wealth. Find any poor immigrant that came here to start a life and you bet they worked their ass off and are probably rather well off. There is a reason there are so many successful Chinese doctors and engineers around.
I can confirm this statement, The chinese community in Italy is overall seen as very positive. They don't cause trouble (statistically they make less crime than the native population) they name their daughters and sons with italian names for integration. As a result they are very well integrated, and often succesful (second generations speak both italian and chinese plus they have a great attitude towards life and duty). Since this people are often integrated the left don't like them too much, since they don't fit the narrative.
I have been to all of these 4 cities as a Chinese salesman in a company based in New York. I found that the Mississippi Delta has its own charm, meanwhile, it could use more new development. So proud of these Asian families serving delta communities!!!
You'd have to replace the current demographic!
I love how they have this down to earth vibes. I almost want to go live with them and be surrounded in that. It's such a different vibe from the Asian/Asian American community I'm from which tend to be a bit more high strung. I am sad that they're only a few left to their community, but glad that their history is documented like this. Wonderful story, wonderful people.
that's the southern hospitality you're picking up.
I'm from Greenville and I know her brothers who were robbed. That was a bad situation because they've always been good to everyone. It was frowned upon even among us. My roommate at MSU was Chinese and I worked with someone at Ole Miss who family had a store.
Yeah I’m from Biloxi and I guess we never thought twice about anyone’s accent. Although a lot of the ppl down there were Vietnamese, not Chinese.
Was this on the news? I'd like to look it up.
@@Telltale. Lived in htown for about 20 years, grew up with many vietnamese neighbors.
Why do White boys always hug and LIP-kiss their moms at the end of Move-in Day? Seems kind of weird.
@@outdoorgames4230 WHAT DOES THAT STATEMENT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS VIDEO?
Damn they are as country as catfish sandwiches
There is a thing called catfish sandwich? Really?
@@shanhussain6114 petboys I think, not that bad tbh
I love catfish, so sticking it between two pieces of bread sounds delicious.
😂😅
She sounds as southern as a country buiscuit!
I don't know how I landed on your channel.. but my step mom was from Spain and her family came to Florida and opened a store like this! Much respect!
It’s interesting seeing these old Chinese people with Southern accents. That’s extremely rare
6:45 “are we always foreigners?” this part really got me
Yes!! I struggle to respond to that when I get asked.
That hurts. When you love America and are more patriotic than so many Americans today, when you teach your children to love America and to be proud to American, but you'll always be treated like foreigners. Growing up being looked at and treated as less American is one thing. Having to see your children go through it is just heartbreaking. Being an Asian American patriot can be a very bitter sweet experience.
Come to San Jose cali it’s like 50 percent asian city
@@jayrose4748 oh, great, are you on wechat?
This is such a beautiful video
JUUKEM Yes it is
Wonderful to see the positive contributions these people made to the local community!
I love documentaries about Mississippi. I lived there for a few years and loved it so much. Still miss it.
Dancing Southern Baptist Chinese folks with southern accents. I love these people lol :)
I grew up in the Mississippi Delta (Greenwood)and this really brings back memories. (And, I now have teenaged Korean children, be attending Mississippi State, who we adopted as newborns who are always having to explain their Mississippi Delta accents).
I know a great deal about the history of the Chinese and Chinese-Americans in California, but I never knew about their presence in the Mississippi Delta. This was a great piece and another interesting part of history that I have just learned about.
I love this segment! More of this please. It’s so interesting!