Chinese-Americans have a long history of facing exclusion in the U.S. As a means of survival, many first-wave Chinese immigrants opened restaurants and catered Chinese food to American tastebuds.
Want more? Check out this similar video from AJ+: https://youtu.be/Sm8Yx-gWlMs

Watch Part 2: The Untold Story Of America’s Southern Chinese https://youtu.be/2NMrqGHr5zE
Watch Part 3: Inside The Chinese Food Mecca Of Los Angeles https://youtu.be/cNRYdW_hr5s

#SanFranciscoChinatown #ChopSuey #AmericanChineseFood

Resources:
“From Canton Restaurant to Panda Express: A History of Chinese Food in the United States” by Haiming Liu
“Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States” by Andrew Coe
“The Chinese in America” by Iris Chang

Special Thanks:
Albert Cheng
Museum of Food and Drink

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34 thoughts on “How Chop Suey Saved San Francisco's Chinatown [Chinese Food: An All-American Cuisine, Pt. 1] | AJ+”

  2. chop suey also got transplanted to the philippines via chinese american cuisine when the philippines was conquered by the US in the early 20th century. chop suey is a cantonese dish and most chinese filipinos are hokkien, so its definitely a chinese american transplant. in tagalog and cebuano, it is spelled as "tsapsuy"/"sapsoy"

  4. I found chinse food in chinatown S F was not good .Here in Melbourne Aust the food is far more authentic. I did notice there were many Chinese PPL who seemed to have been in SF for generations.We have many Chinese Ppl who are immigrants or students . We love the Chinese Ppl and their food .We have many types of chinese food Sichuan, Guangdong and otherareas .Originally the food was a sort of Cantonese.I have never seen chop suey on a menu here..In SF I ordered Ma Po Beancurd the owners were surprised especially as when as obvious westerners we ate with chopsticks Out of ricebowls.

  12. I am the 5th generation and we are native from Taishan, China. But our family immigration story is little bit different. My great-great-grandmother was British religious sister who went to China to serve and finally quit and married a chinese man. (This explain why my family is the only chinese Anglican at that period) They went to America, Hollywood. At that time, immigration was limited and they left their adults kids in China. Later on, same story, my great-grand-mother came with her husband and left their adults kids in China. They bought land in Hollywood where they cultivate apple and pears. But later on the usa government forbids chinese people to own lands and they lost everything. When immigrantion policies let families reunions, my great-grandparents made all the paperwork si my grand-parents can come to San-Francisco in the early 70’s. In the meantime, my mother and father married in China and joined my father Canadian relative in 1982. My son is the 6th generation. I speak fluently Taishanese, Cantonese, French Canadian and a functional english…I have no more family in China at all but have relatives in NYC, San-Francisco, SanDiego, LA, Toronto, Montreal and Sault-Ste-Marie. Families immigration stories are fascinating…in 1992, we had a family reunion in San-Francisco and relatives come from different parts of North America were all there. I realize that I had a huge family! My meet for the first time my great-grandmother who was half asian. She explained me our story in classic British english which was a real contrast as my grandmother and my own mother doesn’t speak English at all. I should write a novel.

  16. America doesn't need any more people we have enough people I say stop all immigration and it's not racist all immigration that includes white people from Europe and England and wherever the South Africa whatever stop all immigration

  17. I LOVE THIS SITE AS AL JAZEERA IS ONE OF THE BEST PRODUCERS OF GREAT PROGRAMMING AND BEING EURASIAN IN CANADA, I LOVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH COOKING THIS GREAT FOOD!!!

  18. SFO Chinatown=Oldest in America? Come over to Hawaii & checkout HNL Chinatown. If not mistaken, between 1850-1900, 46k Chinese immigrated to Hawaii. Myself, am 3-5 generation(DNA testing will clear that air!)-lol

  22. SADLY IRONIC IT TOOK A MODERN PRESIDENT TO START UP RACISM AGAINST ALL CHINESE IN AMERICA. COVID-19 WAS CALLED "KUNG FLU" BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FOR 2 YEARS UNTIL BIDEN CAME INTO POWER, AMERICAN CHINESE WERE VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ATTACKED.

  23. Half Japanese half white here. 2nd gen North American

    Megan. This is a video about southern Chinese immigrants coming to America. Their struggle. Their story. 😂 We are Japanese. Half of our Cuisine is taken from China. Appreciate the content. But this video shouldn't make you proud for Japan. This ain't no "we" situation. Your post made me cringe a little.

  28. My great great great grand father worked the railways(1865) from Oakland all the way to St. Louis. He help build America, then was chased out of the country.

  30. I can't believe she's want to preserve those small rooms THAT ARE STILL IN USE TODAY. No one should live in inadequate housing like that. Rooms should be larger.

  32. As a 2nd generation half Taiwanese Chinese American I am quite grateful that more people are starting to open up to our problems, sometimes I feel our problems are neglected quite a lot. Though I wish people were less sino-phobic in the united states.

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