A page of Chinese history in Tucson - a trip to the grocery store

A page of Chinese history in Tucson - a trip to the grocery store (contributed by Bao Jialin, Tucson) September 15th is the weekend, the hot summer is coming to an end, and the temperature is no longer in three digits...

(Contributed by Tusang Bao Jialin)

September 15th is the weekend, the hot summer is coming to an end, and the temperature is no longer in three digits. That day the sky was clear and the sun was shining high. A luxury bus hired by the Chinese Cultural Center was filled with people of all ages and from all walks of life who were concerned about the history of the Chinese American people. They were going to relive the history of a Chinese grocery store in Tucson seventy or eighty years ago.

The first thing I went to was a Mexican tortilla shop in BarrioHollywood in the south, which specializes in tortellini. Then, the bus passed Allen's Store, which is the store owned by Peggy Lee, chairman of the Chinese Cultural Center. The second stop is the Anita store on Anita Street, which is now run by Mexicans. The Mexican snacks sold are sweet and delicious. This used to be a Chinese-run shop. The third stop was the Empire Store at the intersection of Third Avenue and Ninth Street, which is still run by Chinese people. Everyone enjoyed a hot dog lunch here. The fourth stop is the store originally opened by Li Ruibin’s grandfather, now it is Lapu Maweila Store. The last stop was an apartment for the elderly in Chengzhong District, near the old Chinese settlement. Most of this area has been demolished during the construction of the Municipal Cultural Center Performance Hall, and only black-and-white photos from that year remain.

At each stop, you can see old photos and videos on display, as well as lion dance performances, Chinese dances and Mexican dances, as well as Mariachi bands playing and singing. In a quiet corner, there is a dedicated person responsible for collecting the oral experiences of the elderly people nearby in order to preserve this precious history.

At each stop, Professor Grace Delgado from the University of Pennsylvania will explain. She said that the Chinese and Mexicans lived harmoniously here, and the Chinese could help and trust each other. In its heyday, there were more than 300 Chinese grocery stores in Tucson. There are eight or nine Chinese shops in Allen Street. There is no vicious competition between them, but they can coordinate and cooperate to coexist and prosper together. For example, if A sells beef, the other eight stores do not sell beef. Some sell dry goods, and some sell bread and snacks. Professor Decgado's new book was just published this year by Stanford University. It is titled "Transforming Chinese into Mexicans" and is available for sale at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center. Some of the things Mexicans love to eat were invented by the Chinese. For example, saladeto is made by inserting a sour plum into a half-cut lemon, adding sourness to the sourness. It can make people grimace with sourness when eating it. But this is a natural product, healthy food. Helping everyone recall this period of history were Chinese Association Chairman Tan Jihui, Chinese Cultural Center Chairman Li Peiqi, center's history group convener Robin Blackwood, Li Ruibin, and Mary Malaby. Li Peiqi said that almost all of her playmates when she was a child were Mexicans. The last stop also displays Li Gong's carriage preserved in the Rodeo Museum. When Mary Malaby's grandfather Li Gong returned to China in the early years, he asked someone to sell it. Someone from the museum bought it for 75 yuan. It is now as good as new. For the "Grocery Store Tour", the museum specially brought it to the exhibition, and a dedicated person explained it in detail to those who were curious. At 6 p.m., everyone headed back home. They all felt that this was a very meaningful and successful event.