Made in Chinese America
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Mott Street on January 30, 1911
Kwong Yuen Sing, the first Chinese general merchandise store on Mott Street. Circa 1870.
The first Chinese-owned store, Ah Sue's Tobacco & Candy, was opened in 1847.
The Chinese Opera House, 1893 - 1911
Opened by Chinatown merchant Chu Fong, 5–7 Doyers Street was the site of the first Chinese language theater in New York City. In 1903, the theater was the site of fundraisers by the Chinese community for Jewish victims of massacres in Europe. It was later converted into a rescue mission for the homeless (The Rescue Society).
The Chinese Tuxedo restaurant opened on Oct. 6, 1904 at 2 Doyers Street.
The restaurant was best known for its ornate eagle crowned balcony, which served as advertising that could be seen from the now defunct Third Avenue El train. The restaurant closed sometime in the mid- 1900s.
Museum of Chinese in America
World War I hero Lau Sing Kee (1896 -1967)
He won the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart from the United States and the Croix de Guerre from France. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Troop 150
In 1911, during the height of Chinese Exclusion, Chinese students from CUNY founded the first Chinatown Boy Scout troop. Established in 1914, Troop 150 continues to this day.
Troop 150 is the oldest and remains to be the largest Boy Scout troop in Chinatown.
On May 20, 2004, the Museum honored Troop 150 and Troop 3197, the oldest Boy and Girl Scout troops in Manhattan Chinatown for their dedication and commitment to community youth at the 2004 MoCA Legacy Dinner.
Museum of Chinese in America
9-Man
If playground basketball was created in the streets as an economic necessity, then “9-man” is its kindred soul.
“9-Man” is said to originate from Toisan, China after American missionaries brought volleyball to the region in the early 20th century. As many of the Chinese who were emigrating to the U.S. at the time were from Toisan, they brought “9-Man” with them, and played in the parking lots and alleys of Chinatown. A tournament grew in the 1930s, as it offered both escape and fraternity for men who were separated from their families in China and facing extreme discrimination.
Source: Dat Winning
Documentary: 9-Man by Ursula Liang