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Chinese Laundries: Tickets to Survival on Gold Mountain
A social history of the role of the Chinese laundry on the survival of early Chinese immigrants in the U.S.during the Chinese Exclusion law period, 1882-1943, and in Canada during the years of the Head Tax, 1885-1923, and exclusion law, 1923-1947. Why and how Chinese got into the laundry business and how they had to fight discriminatory laws and competition from white-owned laundries to survive. Description of their lives, work demands, and living conditions. Reflections by a sample of children who grew up living in the backs of their laundries provide vivid first-person glimpses of the difficult lives of Chinese laundrymen and their families. Excerpts From Reviews .. a comprehensive historical study of the Chinese laundries in the United States, a profound analysis of the psychological experiences of the Chinese laundrymen in America and their families in China; and above all, written by someone who has intimate experiences with the Chinese laundry...Renqiu Yu, Director, Asian Studies Program, SUNY, Purchase College Prof. Jung's book has made a significant contribution to the history of Chinese laundries in America. The story is best told by someone like Jung who experienced a `laundry life,' and understands its psychological impact on the Chinese laundrymen and their families. Murray K. Lee, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum ... An academically solid effort that is much enhanced by several personal narratives from other "Children of the Laundries." This rewarding study ... is a long overdue analysis of a familiar experience hidden in plain sight. Mel Brown, Chinese Heart of Texas, The San Antonio Chinese Community, 1875-1975 ...The personal life stories, with their inner thought,feeling, values, attitudes, work experiences and survival hardships, are skillfully presented with penetrating insights and observations. These perspectives present an overall picture of the history and the life and work of the laundrymen. ... BanSeng Hoe, Ph.D. Curator of Asian Studies, Canadian Museum of Civilization Reader Comments …I grew up knowing only the few Chinese laundries in the Washington DC area, and some of our cousins_ in New York. But I never thought much about the common threads until I started looking through your books. Thanks for the education and the enlightenment!.... Get Moy I appreciated that you wrote this book, because it has given me a deeper perspective in what it means to be a second generation Chinese American of emigrant parents who operated a Chinese laundry. I understand that all minorities that emigrated to the United States in search of a better life had their struggles with survival and discrimination, this makes me not only value and respect my parents, but for other emigrant parents who desired their children to be prosperous. It is amazing to learn how others grew up with similar experiences…the excerpts made me both laugh and cry. One thing for sure is that growing up in a Chinese laundry is colourful and interesting. Working class ethnic culture is so sur-real. Elwin Xie, Vancouver Thank you so much for preserving this part of history. I think you will be long remembered for your work. Ken Lee, Ohio State University. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and haven't come across such an interesting and well-researched book on American Chinese history since "The Mississippi Chinese" by Loewen. Well done! Book
- GenresNonfictionHistory
258 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2007
6 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
John Jung
41 books22 followersI grew up in Macon, Georgia, where my family, the only Chinese in the city, lived above our laundry. After moving to California, I majored in psychology at U. C. Berkeley and went on to earn a Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Author of several academic textbooks, including Psychology of Alcohol and Other Drugs, I am Professor of Psychology Emeritus at California State University, Long Beach where I taught for 40 years.
Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants, published in 2010, is a social history of Chinese restaurants and the lives of families that operated this popular ethnic business for over a century.
After retiring, in 2005 I wrote a memoir about my family's life in Georgia, Southern Fried Rice: Life in A Chinese Laundry in the Deep South.
In Nov. 2008, I finished Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton: Laundries: Lives of Mississippi Delta Chinese Grocers which presents the social history of Chinese immigrants who came to this region in the late 1800s to run grocery stores mainly in black neighborhoods. It examines how they lived in a time and place of rigid racial segregation, how they improved their social status, and how they maintained their ethnic identity.
Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants, published in 2010, is a social history of Chinese restaurants and the lives of families that operated this popular ethnic business for over a century.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2014
Brings back long lost memories of my childhood growing up in a Chinese laundry.
June 4, 2017
Dr. Jung's description of Chinese laundries in America is a well-written document on an important subject and surprisingly, considering the number of statistics, readable. The personal stories of children and grandchildren of laundrymen really make the book. Strongly recommended to anyone interested to this subject and a must for any history class from high school on up that is dealing with Asian immigrant issues.
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October 7, 2014Some Reader Comments
... the text, and particularly the pictures, brought back memories of my younger days and my parents. I grew up knowing only the few Chinese laundries in the Washington DC area, and some of our cousins' in New York. But I never thought much about the common threads until I started looking through your book. Thanks for the education and the enlightenment! G.M.
...am now reading your second book on "Chinese Laundries." I understand that you are working on your third book "Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton".... I like your writing style. It is clear and easy to read. J. T.
I appreciated that you wrote this book, because it has given me a deeper perspective in what it means to be a second generation Chinese American of emigrant parents who operated a Chinese laundry. I understand that all minorities that emigrated to the United States in search of a better life had their struggles with survival and discrimination, this makes me not only value and respect my parents, but for other emigrant parents who desired their children to be prosperous.
The fascination is that I too am Chinese American born in the deep south of Miami, Florida where my mother & father started out with a Chinese Laundry ending up with a grocery store. Margaret
It is fabulous that you have compiled stories of Chinese laundry life within North America, It is amazing to learn how others grew up with similar experiences...the excerpts made me both laugh and cry. One thing for sure is that growing up in a Chinese laundry is colourful and interesting. Working class ethnic culture is so sur-real. Elwin Xie, Vancouver
Congratulations on a landmark achievement. We know how much work you put into this volume and I am highly honored to be a small part of your accomplishment. Thank you so much for preserving this part of history. I think you will be long remembered for your work. Ken Lee, Ohio State University.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and haven't come across such an interesting and well-researched book on American Chinese history since "The Mississippi Chinese" by Loewen. Well done!
I have just now finished reading your books and it was a delightful ambience down memory lane. Southern Fried Rice evoked many memories of when we lived in athens (Ga),.. Chinese Laundries is a very readable history of a people who could endure and overcome any hardships... Tommy Nakayama
After reading Dr. Jung's personal and brilliantly written accounts of the blood, sweat, and toil that Chinese Americans endured in the development of the laundry empire in America, you will never feel the same way about the mundane chore of loading and unloading your washer/dryer again. This book doesn't just take you through the historical trajectory of the occupation oft-times associated with Chinese immigrants; it's the story of a people--of families who believe in the value of hard work and determination, and the undying hope of a brighter future. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone of Chinese decent; more importantly, it is for anyone who has a dream. Kathy Wu
SCHOLARS PRAISE
From The Foreword:
... What is remarkable is the combination of this historical perspective with his social psychological descriptions and analyses of laundrymen and their descendants. The personal life stories, with their inner thought,feeling, values, attitudes, work experiences and survival hardships, are skillfully presented with penetrating insights and observations. These perspectives present an overall picture of the history and the life and work of the laundrymen.
... despite all these difficulties with racial discrimination, hostility, violence and legal exclusion, they survived and prospered. Nowadays, many of their children are successful members of their communities, making valuable contributions to society. The laundrymen left a legacy of hard work, endurance, tolerance and an indomitable spirit to excel in life and work. This legacy is now commonly accepted by all Chinese immigrants and their descendants as a significant part of their enduring heritage, one they can cherish and promote. As a Chinese saying goes, "To be able to taste the bitter of the bitter, then you will be a step higher than the others." Professor Jung's seminal works have ably presented and preserved an important part of this heritage not only for the Chinese but for all Americans.
BanSeng Hoe, Ph.D.
Curator of Asian Studies, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Chinese Laundries: Tickets to Survival on Gold Mountain is another important window into the history of the early Chinese immigrants to North America, one that transcends all regions. The tracing of the trail of Chinese migration into America's heartland and the Deep South as many entered the laundry business sheds light on their complex and difficult journey. The coverage of the virulent anti-Chinese sentiments in large cities as well as small hamlets exposes the hostility they had to overcome. The laundrymen faced struggles, challenges, and even disappointments; yet, the Chinese laundry became a valued and necessary enterprise in countless communities for several decades.
Sylvia Sun Minnick, Author,
SamFow: The San Joaquin Chinese Legacy and Stockton's Chinese Community
Professor Jung's book has made a significant contribution to the history of Chinese laundries in America. The story is best told by someone like Jung who experienced a `laundry life,' and understands its psychological impact on the Chinese laundrymen and their families. It is hard to imagine the difficulties that the laundrymen encountered in making a living in a harsh and hostile environment. Bachelor laundrymen, like those with families back in China, suffered lonely lives. Those who had families with them worked hard to ensure that their children would have advantages that the laundrymen could never attain here.
Murray K. Lee, Curator of Chinese American History, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, and the son of a Chinese laundryman and restaurateur
A masterwork of definitive scholarship and heartfelt composition on this singularly important subject. Jung's own life in one such historic family business lends unique insight to a topic often cited but little explored until now. An academically solid effort that is much enhanced by several personal narratives from other "Children of the Laundries." This rewarding study of an era marked by invention born of dire necessity, an unforgiving host society that demanded Chinese laundrymen's services but then punished them for being too good at it, is a long overdue analysis of a familiar experience hidden in plain sight.
Mel Brown, Chinese Heart of Texas, The San Antonio Chinese Community, 1875-1975
Jung's book on Chinese laundries is a welcome contribution to Chinese American studies that depicts the plight of early generations of Chinese caught in the predicament of operating laundries to provide for their families, either in China or in America, while enduring extreme hardship and loneliness in one of the few occupations open to them until the end of World War II in the U. S. and Canada due to racism. It vividly portrays the lives of Chinese laundrymen with the inclusion of historic documents, photographs, newspaper article excerpts, and revealing personal stories and insider observations from a few of the many who, like the author, grew up and worked in their family laundries. The subject deserves attention and further exploration in view of the significant impact that the laundry had not only on the Chinese American experience, but also in the social and cultural histories of the U.S. and Canada.
Joan S. Wang, Professor of History, National Taiwan Normal University, Author, Race, Gender, and Laundry Work: The Roles of Chinese Laundrymen and American Women in the United States, 1850-1950, Journal of American Ethnic History,
This is a remarkable book. It offers a comprehensive historical study of the Chinese laundries in the United States, a profound analysis of the psychological experiences of the Chinese laundrymen in America and their families in China; and above all, written by someone who has intimate experiences with the Chinese laundry, it is a tribute to those Chinese immigrants whose labor and sacrifice laid the foundation of the Chinese American community, and a testimony of the Chinese laundrymen's resilience, resourcefulness, and humanity.
Renqiu Yu, Director, Professor of History, Asian Studies Program, Purchase College - SUNY, Author, To Save China, To Save Ourselves, The Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance of New York
... the text, and particularly the pictures, brought back memories of my younger days and my parents. I grew up knowing only the few Chinese laundries in the Washington DC area, and some of our cousins' in New York. But I never thought much about the common threads until I started looking through your book. Thanks for the education and the enlightenment! G.M.
...am now reading your second book on "Chinese Laundries." I understand that you are working on your third book "Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton".... I like your writing style. It is clear and easy to read. J. T.
I appreciated that you wrote this book, because it has given me a deeper perspective in what it means to be a second generation Chinese American of emigrant parents who operated a Chinese laundry. I understand that all minorities that emigrated to the United States in search of a better life had their struggles with survival and discrimination, this makes me not only value and respect my parents, but for other emigrant parents who desired their children to be prosperous.
The fascination is that I too am Chinese American born in the deep south of Miami, Florida where my mother & father started out with a Chinese Laundry ending up with a grocery store. Margaret
It is fabulous that you have compiled stories of Chinese laundry life within North America, It is amazing to learn how others grew up with similar experiences...the excerpts made me both laugh and cry. One thing for sure is that growing up in a Chinese laundry is colourful and interesting. Working class ethnic culture is so sur-real. Elwin Xie, Vancouver
Congratulations on a landmark achievement. We know how much work you put into this volume and I am highly honored to be a small part of your accomplishment. Thank you so much for preserving this part of history. I think you will be long remembered for your work. Ken Lee, Ohio State University.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and haven't come across such an interesting and well-researched book on American Chinese history since "The Mississippi Chinese" by Loewen. Well done!
I have just now finished reading your books and it was a delightful ambience down memory lane. Southern Fried Rice evoked many memories of when we lived in athens (Ga),.. Chinese Laundries is a very readable history of a people who could endure and overcome any hardships... Tommy Nakayama
After reading Dr. Jung's personal and brilliantly written accounts of the blood, sweat, and toil that Chinese Americans endured in the development of the laundry empire in America, you will never feel the same way about the mundane chore of loading and unloading your washer/dryer again. This book doesn't just take you through the historical trajectory of the occupation oft-times associated with Chinese immigrants; it's the story of a people--of families who believe in the value of hard work and determination, and the undying hope of a brighter future. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone of Chinese decent; more importantly, it is for anyone who has a dream. Kathy Wu
SCHOLARS PRAISE
From The Foreword:
... What is remarkable is the combination of this historical perspective with his social psychological descriptions and analyses of laundrymen and their descendants. The personal life stories, with their inner thought,feeling, values, attitudes, work experiences and survival hardships, are skillfully presented with penetrating insights and observations. These perspectives present an overall picture of the history and the life and work of the laundrymen.
... despite all these difficulties with racial discrimination, hostility, violence and legal exclusion, they survived and prospered. Nowadays, many of their children are successful members of their communities, making valuable contributions to society. The laundrymen left a legacy of hard work, endurance, tolerance and an indomitable spirit to excel in life and work. This legacy is now commonly accepted by all Chinese immigrants and their descendants as a significant part of their enduring heritage, one they can cherish and promote. As a Chinese saying goes, "To be able to taste the bitter of the bitter, then you will be a step higher than the others." Professor Jung's seminal works have ably presented and preserved an important part of this heritage not only for the Chinese but for all Americans.
BanSeng Hoe, Ph.D.
Curator of Asian Studies, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Chinese Laundries: Tickets to Survival on Gold Mountain is another important window into the history of the early Chinese immigrants to North America, one that transcends all regions. The tracing of the trail of Chinese migration into America's heartland and the Deep South as many entered the laundry business sheds light on their complex and difficult journey. The coverage of the virulent anti-Chinese sentiments in large cities as well as small hamlets exposes the hostility they had to overcome. The laundrymen faced struggles, challenges, and even disappointments; yet, the Chinese laundry became a valued and necessary enterprise in countless communities for several decades.
Sylvia Sun Minnick, Author,
SamFow: The San Joaquin Chinese Legacy and Stockton's Chinese Community
Professor Jung's book has made a significant contribution to the history of Chinese laundries in America. The story is best told by someone like Jung who experienced a `laundry life,' and understands its psychological impact on the Chinese laundrymen and their families. It is hard to imagine the difficulties that the laundrymen encountered in making a living in a harsh and hostile environment. Bachelor laundrymen, like those with families back in China, suffered lonely lives. Those who had families with them worked hard to ensure that their children would have advantages that the laundrymen could never attain here.
Murray K. Lee, Curator of Chinese American History, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, and the son of a Chinese laundryman and restaurateur
A masterwork of definitive scholarship and heartfelt composition on this singularly important subject. Jung's own life in one such historic family business lends unique insight to a topic often cited but little explored until now. An academically solid effort that is much enhanced by several personal narratives from other "Children of the Laundries." This rewarding study of an era marked by invention born of dire necessity, an unforgiving host society that demanded Chinese laundrymen's services but then punished them for being too good at it, is a long overdue analysis of a familiar experience hidden in plain sight.
Mel Brown, Chinese Heart of Texas, The San Antonio Chinese Community, 1875-1975
Jung's book on Chinese laundries is a welcome contribution to Chinese American studies that depicts the plight of early generations of Chinese caught in the predicament of operating laundries to provide for their families, either in China or in America, while enduring extreme hardship and loneliness in one of the few occupations open to them until the end of World War II in the U. S. and Canada due to racism. It vividly portrays the lives of Chinese laundrymen with the inclusion of historic documents, photographs, newspaper article excerpts, and revealing personal stories and insider observations from a few of the many who, like the author, grew up and worked in their family laundries. The subject deserves attention and further exploration in view of the significant impact that the laundry had not only on the Chinese American experience, but also in the social and cultural histories of the U.S. and Canada.
Joan S. Wang, Professor of History, National Taiwan Normal University, Author, Race, Gender, and Laundry Work: The Roles of Chinese Laundrymen and American Women in the United States, 1850-1950, Journal of American Ethnic History,
This is a remarkable book. It offers a comprehensive historical study of the Chinese laundries in the United States, a profound analysis of the psychological experiences of the Chinese laundrymen in America and their families in China; and above all, written by someone who has intimate experiences with the Chinese laundry, it is a tribute to those Chinese immigrants whose labor and sacrifice laid the foundation of the Chinese American community, and a testimony of the Chinese laundrymen's resilience, resourcefulness, and humanity.
Renqiu Yu, Director, Professor of History, Asian Studies Program, Purchase College - SUNY, Author, To Save China, To Save Ourselves, The Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance of New York
February 1, 2013
I found "Chinese Laundries: Tickets to Survival on Gold Mountain" by John Jung on an independent writer's website and was intrigued by the title that suggested a subject way off the beaten track. I was not prepared for the ease with which I was able to read this academic study of Chinese Laundries in the US. 1/4 of the book is a biliography, bearing witness to the vast amount of knowledge the author possesses and how much research he has done to give credibility to his account.
From casual to concrete discrimination, indirect legal victimisation and tax laws to statistic, tables and photographs - a huge amount of details is given and documented.
Individual accounts of the workers and owners of laundries lend a great personal touch to the hardship, tragedies and persistence that these people endured.
Despite the often sad stories and the description of inhumane and intolerant treatment this book is by no account a tale of self-pity and pointing the finger. The facts are described objectively and it accentuated the survival spirit of these people rather than their role as victims. After all, they are survivors.
Reading this book I learned a lot about an era and a subject I had little knowledge of, but I was also grasped by the great writing style that drew me in from the beginning and made me read more and more.
From casual to concrete discrimination, indirect legal victimisation and tax laws to statistic, tables and photographs - a huge amount of details is given and documented.
Individual accounts of the workers and owners of laundries lend a great personal touch to the hardship, tragedies and persistence that these people endured.
Despite the often sad stories and the description of inhumane and intolerant treatment this book is by no account a tale of self-pity and pointing the finger. The facts are described objectively and it accentuated the survival spirit of these people rather than their role as victims. After all, they are survivors.
Reading this book I learned a lot about an era and a subject I had little knowledge of, but I was also grasped by the great writing style that drew me in from the beginning and made me read more and more.
August 30, 2015
Chinese Laundries is a great history book in understanding the reasons of why the Chinese has immigrated to America and the hardship that they have to face.
The author gave a very good references to the documentation of discrimination and the occupation why the Chinese open so many laundries and the competition that they faced.
For those American-borned Chinese and anyone who wants to know more about American Chinese history, this book is it. This book is a very good reference for those who wants to research deeper into the American Chinese history.
I was given this book by the author via Goodreads for an honest review. I was not compensated or influence in any way for writing this review.
The author gave a very good references to the documentation of discrimination and the occupation why the Chinese open so many laundries and the competition that they faced.
For those American-borned Chinese and anyone who wants to know more about American Chinese history, this book is it. This book is a very good reference for those who wants to research deeper into the American Chinese history.
I was given this book by the author via Goodreads for an honest review. I was not compensated or influence in any way for writing this review.
November 26, 2017
Maybe too similar to his biography for me. The author has a few different books relating to the lives on Chinese immigrants and their role in US history. I decided to go with this one since it seemed like it might tie into his personal life and because it had the highest rating on Goodreads.
It's what it says on the tin. The story of Chinese immigrants and how many earned their living by running laundromats as they could not find any other work/no other work was available to them based on racism, lack of knowledge of the language/culture, lack of local ties, etc. We learn the how and why Chinese immigrants (mostly adult men during this time) came to run them and the struggles they faced: isolation, racism, the dangers of competition from both Chinese and non-Chinese people, how immigration laws made it difficult (and then impossible) to bring over wives and family, etc.
Probably the most interesting part of the book to me is the very end where Jung traces the decline of Chinese laundromats with the rise in Chinese restaurants as the "starter job" as it were for immigrants. I had not made that connection before but Chinese restaurants were probably more adaptable by both design (not easy to get authentic ingredients) and by the role racism and discrimination played due to the suspicions people had about the Chinese and their food, etc.
This last part of the book tweaked my interest in his book on Chinese restaurants but overall I've felt he isn't that great of a writer so I won't be rushing out to read it. I bought this one but wish I could have borrowed it instead.
It's what it says on the tin. The story of Chinese immigrants and how many earned their living by running laundromats as they could not find any other work/no other work was available to them based on racism, lack of knowledge of the language/culture, lack of local ties, etc. We learn the how and why Chinese immigrants (mostly adult men during this time) came to run them and the struggles they faced: isolation, racism, the dangers of competition from both Chinese and non-Chinese people, how immigration laws made it difficult (and then impossible) to bring over wives and family, etc.
Probably the most interesting part of the book to me is the very end where Jung traces the decline of Chinese laundromats with the rise in Chinese restaurants as the "starter job" as it were for immigrants. I had not made that connection before but Chinese restaurants were probably more adaptable by both design (not easy to get authentic ingredients) and by the role racism and discrimination played due to the suspicions people had about the Chinese and their food, etc.
This last part of the book tweaked my interest in his book on Chinese restaurants but overall I've felt he isn't that great of a writer so I won't be rushing out to read it. I bought this one but wish I could have borrowed it instead.
September 2, 2024
Thank-you to John Jung, professor of psychology emeritus, for recording his family history and others rooted in establishing life in America through the laundry business. In school we only learned in passing that Chinese built the Transcontinental Railroad. Not much mention of the skill involved, more that many were killed in explosions using dynamite on rock. Chinese history in building America has been far too sketchy. Despite the gruelling work, Chinese laundry people did well in helping their children to get educated and eventually contribute in more professional ways to the development of the United States. A story of determination and sacrifice.
August 27, 2020
This book is a window into the history of the early Chinese immigrants to North America. It describes the extreme racism that they endured when they came to the United States. I found this book and decided to read it because many of my friends are Chinese and many of them lived behind or above family laundries which was the only industry left to the Chinese when they came to America. This book also documents the extreme laws that were put into effect by the United States to exclude them from society.
January 20, 2021
It was interesting to read, but it belabored the story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews