How a law professor discovered the oldest Chinese restaurant in America
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- čas přidán 30. 04. 2024
- The Chicago Café in Woodland has been a family-run Chinese restaurant since 1903.
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![The Untold Story Of America's Southern Chinese [Chinese Food: An All-American Cuisine, Pt. 2] | AJ+](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2NMrqGHr5zE/mqdefault.jpg)
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as the child of a parent who owned a Chinese restaurant, that statement is absolutely true. My mom said there’s no way my son is going to be in the restaurant business. She slaved away so I can have a better life. Thanks mom, love you.
This is true for most Asian immigrants!
@@eradicatepoverty5444 I’m going to go 1 further and say all immigrants. Especially looking at today’s demographics Latinos are making a huge surge and the most educated immigrants right now are actually African, surpassing east and south Asians.
Its not the best way of thinking really. It's having a mentality of thinking low of others. Any business is a lot of work if you're the owner. You're "slaving" away one way or the other. When being a successful restaurant owner is great and makes money, how is that a bad thing. And one can always hire people to do the work one doesn't want to. They work it because they want to. It's the same mentality that lead to people thinking low of trade jobs and now immigrants who take over these jobs are doing better in the usa l, making money.
@@flatcube3706 It is undeniable that service and labor jobs are significantly more physically demanding than blue collar jobs. Even if blue collar jobs are mentally draining, it doesn't leave you in pain every night. Owning a business doesn't automatically mean that the restaurant is successful either. In some cases, and I have anecdotal experience, the restaurant makes just enough money to get by, but if they hire even 1 employee to reduce their workload, then the revenue drops significantly due to wages. So instead, they just took it head on even if it meant working early in the morning and late into the night so they could save money. For every successful restaurant, there's many more that are decent or struggling to get by.
Great Mom 😊🥀
Fun Fact: China still had Emperor when it opened in 1911.
Interesting, America still had King when it opened in 1607, didn't know China was so young.
Republic of China and People's Republic of China are younger than the USA too. Even Prussia was younger than US.
Lies again? NASCAR GrabCar USD SGD
Even funner fact china didnt exsist till 1911!
I saw the movie The Last Emperor. It made no mention of this chop suey joint.
Shoutout to all the parents who give their children a better opportunity than they had!
Cool story!
I wish this video was longer and showecased some of the food
Indeed. This kind of old school chop suey is becoming a museum piece itself, as newer generations of Chinese immigrants move in and take over the hearts and palates of America, Chinese or otherwise! In contrast, this kind of food is often perceived as dry, uninteresting, or bland - but this is the stuff that deserves to be vividly remembered and continued in practice, like how we remember "colonial times food".
Growing and being very familiar with Asian American cuisine I can tell you the Chicago restaurant's food looks infinitely better than the one in Montana which looks absolutely disgusting from their reviews. My guess is that Pekin Noodle Parlor solely rests on it's false reputation as the oldest Chinese restaurant in the US.
@@cdhui more like that's what the average diner in Montana want and are familiar with. This is the place where biscuits and gravy are traditional!
"You work at a Chinese restaurant, so your kids don't have to work at a Chinese restaurant..."
Kinda sucks though, ive seen a few excellent Chinese places close down because of this, but the owners and their family really encompass the American dream
This restaurant is a good example of the Chinese immigrant spirit and immigrating to a foreign land made of foreign people, foreign languages, and a foreign system.
In the face of adversity, discrimination, and racism, they keep their head down, don't cause a scene, and cooperate with the system. They work to find their place in the society they immigrated to. They adapt and overcome in the face of the challenges presented by their new environment--- they integrate themselves into the society they wish to call home.
If this is not the ideal standard of immigrant a country strives to attract, than I do not know what is.
Almost everyone watching this video, mistakenly thinks it is in Chicago, Illinois. No, no, no! It is in Woodland, California. Don't be mislead by its name, Chicago Café.
There may be a Woodland Cafe in Chicago. 🧐
Well, the college professor at UC Davis gives it out.
The part where it's a community staple was so sweet, but the "unofficial community trophy case" part? Could make me cry. Such a vital part of the community.
Will need to visit this place ASAP.
It’s sad to see a place like this go, it’s part of Chinese American history, wish there’s a way to preserve this unique establishment
Perhaps, then again for the owners, they did fulfill the goal through opening this restaurant after 3 generations. It had a brilliant run.
@@passbyicecube indeed, well said
It's not just part of Chinese American history, it is part of American history.
Yeah unless someone wants to buy it to continue the tradition (they can teach the recipes to the new chef), it’s just the cycle of mom and pop restaurants. The restaurant business is tough.
Chinese Americans today are still opening restaurants with classics, new food, and different takes on some awesome dishes. The continued existence and development of Chinese American cuisine is also a preservation of its history!
Such a charming and delightful looking restaurant.
Wow! Thank you.
“May have experienced discrimination?” Cmon man.
Not to correct, but just noting that it could be that the may they used was as an auxiliary function to show concession, e.g.:
"he may be slow but he is thorough"
They already stated that Chicago Cafe was left out of the business census, but their point was that the restaurant stayed resilient despite sinophobia
I opt to give the benefit of the doubt, especially if a word has multiple meanings. I can see how his tone could be misleading, though.
@@newbigjon The Chicago cafe is not in Chicago. It's in Woodland, CA. ABC 10 is not a channel in IL, ABC 7 serves the Chicago area. Also, a UC Davis prof would not be traveling all the way to Chicago to eat at a cafe. Historically, Chinese immigration to the US has always centered around California, Hawaii, and NYC. Chicago's Chinese community is much smaller and less significant.
Whites experience discrimination now. But...do all of them? It stands to reason not all asians experienced discrimination. Thus, their factual statement.
@@newbigjon Why are you saying you’re not correcting them? You ARE. Since the usage of “may” isn’t an opinion, there IS a correct answer. Apologizing for correcting and characterizing both sides as opinions only creates doubt in your comment. You already thought the restaurant was in Chicago, so you’re not helping yourself trying to convey your point.
@@mynameisname567oh! Did not catch that detail 😅 funny name, I wondered why they didn't explore the origins of being called the "Chicago" cafe
Great reporting
You're lucky to have experienced the cuisine in this historic establishment. It looks delicious!
Greetings from Canada! Great reporting. Beautiful story!
Miss the Shanghai Bar and Resturuant In Auburn CA that was older then this and open but family fights closed it...
I wonder what the fights were about?
I used to go to a restaurant as a kid in Wichita, Kansas, but my mom said someone threw a cat in the restaurant's attic to frame them and then called the police, and they had to shut down. I don't know if that's true or not.
Trying to carry on a family business for more than several generations is extremely difficult. Always about $$.
@@hblee88 It's not about money, because a family business is typically longstanding. There is revenue there. It's about personal choice and individual dreams over family values and tradition.
@@hblee88 They weren't fighting over the parking space closest to the door.
yes my parents just rrtired! and they arent used to it being chinese .chinese =hardwork. please enjoy life. i made them promise to not work at least 6 months ! so far so good! we are all grown and all work. im so happy to hear how loved they are by community. 💕🌸💚🌸
It’s sad. Working so hard your whole life that you don’t have time to find hobbies or things you can enjoy for yourself. Hope they find some fun in retirement!
@@atomic_ryu i feel like quite a few people go through that though. A lot of people go back to working after retirement. Also not being used to retiring doesn't mean they don't have enjoyable things to do. Its just a lot of hobbies are usually done in the few hours after you get off work, and they become boring after more than a few hours a day. It's hard to entertain yourself 24/7.
Are these your parents in the video?
Hope you had a blast trolling and pretending to be someone's child. Get a life.
You can tell a Chinese restaurant is authentic if there's a little kid doing homework in the booth nearest the kitchen.
Real good, and thanks for the info that restaurants were about the only place Chinese could work. I'll guess laundries were the other. This joint will be missed more when it is gone than enjoyed when it was here. Another tragic loss but this is how life is.
i wonder if they're willing to sell the business to someone else who wants to continue the legacy or like an apprentice
Im surprised this video has not yet gone viral. Usually from 2015 to 2018, something like this, like great big story days, this type of story was in a golden age.
Guess the winning formula is short form videos now
Agreed, this should be viral
Very cool video & I would love to check it out!!
this is the way i like it just like this we all do find this in every town in Canada I am proud to say
4:36 Bragging rights around the mah jong table. Doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, accountant. The big four. My parents hit the quad, one of each.
Today the bragging rights is Tech, Hedge Fund, AI and TikToker 😂
@@robocop581 Tiktoker only if they bring in money, otherwise its the biggest failure
@@robocop581 software engineer, doctor, quant, ceo
@@icodestuff6241 Portfolio Manager, Radiologist, RE Agent, CZcamsr
@@HelloOnepiece E-MOHHHH-tional Damage!!!!......Niece and nephew, do not be Tik Toker. Tik Toker failure like Jamie Oliver....
Businesses like these are the backbone of country! Make sure to support your local businesses 😊
Love stories like this. 😊 This is what makes America great. Hard word paying off and your kids having a better life than you.
Sure, that's one of the lessons, but it's also we used hide people the country didn't like even if they wanted to work, shrink their options to get them out of the way--which in the case of Chinese food, we Americans also have a history of mocking and insulting--and they succeed inspite of that. That's America too.
@@somethingcleverhere you’re 100% correct and I’m not asking you to ignore reality but your mental health is directly related to the way you perceive information. There were way more interesting facts and uplifting moments in that story than there were negatives. I chose to see the good in things. Maybe give it a try, being a “Debbie downer” gets old real fast.
@@Lostin2024 I reacted to you generalizing the story down to a nub--I'd argue it actually diminishes their accomplishments by reducing it to hard work and just how America is. Yes, let celebrate what works, and also improve on things when we see them, which starts with acknowledging them.
👍❤️
I like how nonchalant he is about his restaurant holding that title.
What a revelation! I had thought the Pekin Noodle Parlor in Butte, Montana was the oldest Chinese restaurant still in operation. But, it's the Chicago Cafe? In Woodland, California? I've never heard of this place. And, I'm sure most people haven't. But, it just oozes history. And, from the food in the video, I can tell it's patently old school. I'd love to visit and eat there if I can one day. Wow...
The evidence for "oldest" seems pretty slim. Not exactly solid history work here, lol. Nevertheless, I don't think which is old-EST matters much. It is old, and remarkable, and wonderful.
What a treasure!
Wikipedia still has the other place as the oldest someone needs to fix it.
I would, but I don't know enough about source rules to change it. I'm pretty sure that CZcams is never allowed as a reference. Even though they're literally showing the interior of the building claiming it's from 1903 and various newspaper snippets, those still aren't proof. Because it's on a CZcams video. I'm not sure what websites and reports on them are allowed since I don't know, but if someone could find out that would be great.
It deserves an honorable mention - this place might be technically 8 years older, but the Butte location actually feels like going back in time and is surrounded by blocks of preserved 1880s-1920s buildings and signs. Unfortunately it is a couple hundred miles from just about anything, so very few people will ever actually go (and the food, like I can tell from looking here - is not what i'd describe as good, perhaps more historical). Of course, both are noobs compared to establishments in china - Chings Bucket Chicken house is nearly 1000 years old, and I had amaizing food at a place in Beijing that was 700 years old and several that were 200-300 years.
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa790 you could probably add a section for "other restaurants claiming to be the oldest". That might get around the sourcing issue, because you're not making an outright statement of fact.
@@OptimusWombat Maybe, but I still need a source for their claim. If they said it, I have to explain where I heard it, right?
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa790 I found at least five good reputable sources that could be used, but I can't even give you the names because of the filtering, sigh.
Q
That is a rare find
A very neat and authentic story, lives, livelihoods and friends 🧡
Amazing 👏
Q❤
Perhaps because I am older I understand better. When I was growing up in the United States there were few, if any, authentic Chinese restaurants. Mandarin and Szechuan came later. The Chinese restaurants of my childhood were Americanized versions of Cantonese food. The Chinese owners did not eat this food themselves; it was not their authentic cuisine. It was the food that Americans knew and wanted as Chinese food. Only after President Nixon opened relations with the People's Republic of China, did Americans start learning about authentic Chinese cooking and from other areas of China. The Chicago Cafe is a prime example of the food served by Chinese restaurants in the United States during most of the 20th century.
Authenticity is such a silly standard to apply here. Yes, the food is "Americanized." In the same way "Chinese food" is "Koreanized" in Korea. In the same way that "Chinese food" is "Singaporeanized" in Singapore. The restaurant is a business that makes money to feed one's family and not a home kitchen that makes your family's food. Chicago Cafe is without question a Chinese a restaurant because it was a Chinese business that has enabled countless Chinese peoples to feed their family.
😂 I still have a "Nixon Digs Chinese Food" patch. It's an elephant in a patty hat.
@@richpak1398 Absolutely correct. How dare a restaurant serve the kind of food that customers like to eat? The horror! Fisher's fetish for cuisine purity exposes his narrow ideology. Does he also believe in racial purity? One wonders.
Yea the magic word at the end "you work at a Chinese restaurant so your kid don`t need to work at a Chinese restaurant"
as most Chinese parent want their kid to be doctor or Lawyer.
Same story for my grandfather, but just substitute in Macedonian. These are great immigrant stories and luckily our culture continues to adapt and change to accept these people into our country.
It's a give and take. Never come to North America thinking you can continue on like it was in your homeland. The point of coming is to change and move on.
The food must be good. That family didn't get run out of town.
😢
On Lock Sam in Stockton, California opened in 1896 and operated until someone challenged their ADA wheelchair access, creating a legal nightmare that they chose not to accept. They closed then reopened the restaurant 3 years later at the same location.
So they closed due to political correctness. Isn’t it ironic, political correctness disproportionately hurts immigrant and minority owned businesses.
@@marvinsulzer8258 lol aint life grand !.. lolol you'll get over it kiddo.. lolol
Looks tasty!
Google Maps stated it is closed temporarily?😢
Why Chicago Cafe? Woodland is in Yolo county California. I lived there 40 years ago, but never went to this particular Chinese restaurant.
That's an answer that's probably been lost forever. I found an article on the UC Davis site and it said:
"My grandfather opened it, and everybody asks me the question, ‘Why do they call it ‘Chicago’?’” Paul Fong said during a rare break from work at the café on that Tuesday. “I have no idea. That was 120 years ago. Maybe he came [via] Chicago.” (The UC Davis research shows the name “Chicago” was used in association with Chinese restaurants in various parts of the country.)"
What a cool story
3:20 Because of the exclusion act racism was normalized? No I think the act is a reflection of the existing racism
It’s very interesting that the Paul, the cafe owner, has a Chinese accent even though he must have been born in America. I assume he lived in a very cloistered Chinese community in Woodland.
Arnold Schwarzenegger still has his Austrian accent
@@robocop581 What??? Schwarzenegger was born in Austria. It’s difficult for an adult to lose an accent. Oddly, he says that he can no longer speak German fluently.
Paul from Hong Kong.
Paul was not born in the U.S. He emigrated from Hong Kong and was born in the family village in China. The Chinese Exclusion Act forbade Chinese in the U.S. from bringing their families over. His grandfather was already here in 1903 but he couldn't bring over his wife or children. Paul's father most likely got to the U.S. as a "paper son." Google it. Even though the Act was repealed in 1943, the paper sons already here could not bring over their families because that would have revealed that they came under false papers. Congress finally rectified this sad dilemma in 1967 when an immigration amnesty was declared, which resulted in a large influx of Chinese women and children a that time. Paul arrived in 1973, a beneficiary of that amnesty. It is a very common history for many, many Chinese families in the CA central valley, particularly those from the Toi Shan region of China.
@@bellesogne thanks for that, i had no idea...you spared me a rabbit hole...i was curious about his accent too..
"Specializing in Polynesian Island Dinners and American Dishes"? Was this place always a Chinese restaurant?
The video does not make clear that UC Davis School of Law Professor Gabriel “Jack” Chin is leading interdisciplinary research into the restaurant.
I mean they can definitely look for a willing apprentice if their children and grandchildren aren't interested in the job.
Grandkids step up!
I wonder if it’s any good wow
The greasiest American value is
FAMILY.
We could learn a lot from the Chinese, that aren’t corrupt
food doesn't look that good you go there for the history; by the same token, a lot of 'historic' hotels aren't that comfortable.
Those private booths are money maker.
When u own a small restaurant, u are locked to it 24/7. There is no vacation. Can't take time off. Unless u hired helps. Most Chinese don't hired helps.
Yep and places like this getting zoned out for a McDonald’s or red lobster nowadays
Uh.. 🦞 is facing financial woes.
It's crazy how the Qing Dynasty still existed while this establishment opened.
Wait, Grandchildren can take it over!!!!
why doesnt the law professor buy it?
NYC had Chinese restaurants in the late 1800s. The earliest restaurant to open in the US was in 1849 in San Francisco.
That's why the "continually operating" condition
What a wonderful story!
On the issue of no offspring to takeover the family restaurant business, that' everywhere across every ethnicity especially among this generation.
So why is it called chicago cafe i wonder
Prejudice and discrimination , as old as civilization itself .
Can we at least get the recipes before they die off? These recipes may have lasted decades, if not hundreds of years. That is worth preserving, even if their children and grandchildren don't think so.
For Many new immigrants running a restaurant or store is the only employment they can find. Nowadays, I don't think that happens because of the insane costs.
Getting into the USA is easy. Trying to renounce U.S citizenship will cost $2,300+taxes and permission from the state department.
The kids can totally hire someone to run the restaurant and keep it in the family. Manage it through a holding company.
They can also sell the business instead of just winding it down.
And...google map says it's out of business.
😮
I hope he don't close it. There will be plenty of people interested in buying and taking over the oldest Chinese Restaurant.
☺️
Both restaurants look yummy and historically AMAZING
Great story! Thanks for highlighting Chinese immigrants history.😊
If you dont like chinese food, you are not human.
Usually, small town chinese restaurants are not really authentic chinese food, they cater to the palate of western local residents in and around town. As you enter a city, you'll see authentic chinese restaurants, when you enter one you'll see chinese folks eating and the taste is different.
Professor Eats Chinese food w a knife and fork 😅
lol, that use to be me. I didn't learn how to use chopsticks until I was in my mid twenties and I'm from the Philippines. I taught myself though :)
I'm second generation Chinese and it brings me joy to see other Chinese people around the world doing well
Well, I know where I'm eating whenever I make a trip to Chicago. I have got to visit this place before the owners retire.
But the building looks more recent
I live in Woodland but a restaurant in Davis named Tasty Gourmet is better.
secret name pats from Philippines first time looking you
Binondo
Im a little confused, he's 3rd gen American yet still has an accent. How come?
Chinese-Americans (or "American-born Chinese", as they prefer to call themselves) tend to be slower to assimilate than other groups.
lets gooo
is it the best chinese food?
The oldest "continuing operations" restaurant. There were such restaurants back in the 1800's.
3:49 "CASH ONLY," huh? I wonder why?
I mean, ever since Expressions Hair Design et al. v. Schneiderman, a SCOTUS case from 2017 that controls each and every business in the United States, credit card surcharges are perfectly legal, with some industry experts suggesting that such surcharges for only those who use plastic make it less costly than raising prices for everyone. As the business owner you can still refuse any form of payment you want -- even cash -- so the customary refusal of checks is still no excuse.
Could it be that cash transactions are easy to hide from the Tax Man? I'm not sure, so any guidance from experts who REALLY know this subject would be very much appreciated.
I think it's a shame that under social pressure immigrants had to modify there recipes in the US to be successful. Traditional food is way healthier and better tasting.
It's the same everywhere. If you go to Japan or China, you will get burgers tweaked for the tastebuds of Asians. Every country is like that.
Seth, why do you fetishize cuisine purity? Does your narrow thinking extend to wanting racial purity? Why are you so threatened by a business that offers customers the kind of products they want to buy? Cooking what people want to eat is free-enterprise and the American Way!
Huh... why is a UC Davis professor in Chicago. I'm a UC Davis alum in Chicagoland so curious!
The place is in Woodland, Ca.
May have experience discrimination!😂
Go to any Asian country if you want to see discrimination
Do they have lynching?😂
@@dynasty781yes and worse
Funny how the owner lapsed into Cantonese briefly at 1:58 .. his accent suggests that he grew up speaking more Cantonese than English
Apparently it’s because he was born and raised in Hong Kong, his grandfather wasn’t able to bring the family over with him due to the Chinese exclusion act. So his family didn’t actually come to the United Stares until decades later
Why chicago cafe ? It’s in California
Misleading for sure. Watched the whole video, thinking no way the oldest one is in Chicago, it has to be somewhere in California or New York.
@@jtttt nope, it is in butte Montans..llololol NY And LA real estate $$ wpied out ALL the old Chinese restaurants in the 90's
Honest question if his great grandfather, founded the restaurant and he is the third generation owner. Why does he have an accent?
His grandfather immigrated but was unable to bring his son and wife due to the Chinese exclusion act. He was born in Hong Kong and raised there, and came to the untied states decades later after his grandfather and father when the laws in the United States changed
@@Tran-ll2it 🤯now my brain is making it make sense. Thanks so much!!!
Every modern asian country have there version of the exclusion act to this day
Why does he have an accent if he’s a 3rd generation American?
Probably passed down from grandparents to parents then to him
No someone explained it… he’s not born in America. His grandfather came in 1903 during the Chinese exclusion act. So he wasn’t about to bring Paul’s father too they found some loophole. By the time Paul’s father reunited with his grandfather, Paul was born. But they weren’t allowed to bring a Paul nor his mother until 1967. I suspect by 1967, Paul would have been a young man. Way too late in life to lose one’s accent. So blame systemic racism. Three generations of Chinese Americans from same family yet none born in the US.
@@marvinsulzer8258 .. apparently so racist in the USA that they spent their lives trying to get there to stay..??? ..lololol cheers from sunny Thailand lolol
Probably in SF or Seattle, not Chicago or Montana.. lol
Woodland, CA - NW of Sacramento. Google Maps says it is temporarily closed. Maybe just to keep outsiders away.
no proof?? so, nope,, oldest one is in Butte Montana..lol until you prove different
That is Chinese food? That's gwai low food.
You are obviously not an old American.
The Chicago Cafe, open since 1903...still hasn't had one Chinese customer. The reason? Their menu still doesn't have one authentic Chinese dish in it.
How did he discover the restaurant if it has been open since 1903?
Welp, stop the bickering and make way for this one: "The first Chinese restaurant, Hong Far Low, opened in 1875. During this period, a number of factories moved into the area and created Boston's historic garment district that remained active until the 1990s."
The claim is for the restaurant CONTINUOUSLY in business; NOT the first to open!
None of these restaurants are "Chinese" anymore - they're as Italian as Marconi and Cheese.
Your comment is a diarrhea explosion from a self-appointed Cuisine Czar and Food Führer.
I just hope this law professor doesn’t end up suing the restaurant
Very strange looking chinese food. It's like a mixed plate that you get from the buffet. You'll never get Chinese food like this in Australia.