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.

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

[liammeaney]

There's something adorable about an old Chinese women with a deep fried southern accent

[majestical]

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.

[billynotreally]

"We don't look like American people?"
-cuts to grandpa wearing Ole Miss hat driving a bass fishing boat

[madametia]

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!

[SonicInu]

“Are we always foreigners?”
That was very impactful for me.

[Raddz]

"Southern style Chinese food" sounds absolutely amazing.

[Hannah-irvr]

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.

[ibnawf]

Chinese lady with southern accent is everything

[yungheat]

Damn that Chinese lady sound very southern that's how you know where you grow up has a very big difference

[andyye]

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.

[chrispycrunchy]

You can just feel the southern hospitality in Freida's voice and the way she conducts herself. She's very sweet.

[dominiquedaniem]

Shout out to Ming Sang grocery in Greenville, ms. I have so many childhood memories with my grandmother there.

[vanessavargas]

What I love about them is that they completely embrace their American culture without forgetting the Chinese culture

[davidchen]

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.

[crayolaclouds]

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?

[Yahuahisking]

I was hypnotize by the Asian woman with a southern accent 🤗

[sarahl]

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.

[Kealiile]

This is the first time I have every seen a Chinese person with a southern accent it’s so amazing!

[ladyshkspre]

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!

[meegee]

"honey, are you ornamental? "
"sometimes!"

I'm taking that one.