Chinese
in Minnesota (continued)
Between 1850 and 1950, more Christian missionaries were
sent to China from Minnesota than from any other state. When immigrants
arrived in Minnesota, churches and YMCAs provided the most important
links to the new country, such as English classes. Like other ethnic groups,
Minnesota's Chinese gathered strength by gathering together-in church and
Bible study groups, language classes, business associations, student groups,
and cultural organizations.
 Chinese
American community arch, Minneapolis, 1970
For the 1970 Minneapolis Aquatennial, the Chinese American community
erected this arch on Nicollet Mall. Bing Wong—for many years one
of the city's busiest portrait photographers—documented its construction.
After the festivities, the arch was moved to the State Fair, where
it stood until the 1990s. Photo courtesy Bing Wong.
|
 Nankin
Café, Minneapolis, 1920. Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard
The Nankin Café, which opened in its first location
in Minneapolis in 1919, was for many years the center of Minnesota Chinese
cultural life. In 1948, Nankin owner and chef Walter James—with the
help of his friend Stanley Chong—converted part of the Café into
clubrooms for the growing Chinese community. James and Chong founded the
organization that eventually became the Chinese American Association of
Minnesota (CAAM).
There are several major Chinese American organizations
active in Minnesota. The newest is the Chinese American Business Association
of Minnesota (CABAM), established in 2002. Minnesota is also home to a chapter
of the Organization of Chinese Americans, a non-partisan advocacy organization.
|
Leeann Chin, about 1978, Star Tribune photo.
Probably the best-known Chinese name in Minnesota belongs
to Leeann Chin—after all, it's on a chain of nearly 60 popular restaurants
in the Twin Cities area.
"Leeann Chin" may be a brand name, but she is also a
real person. Born in Canton, China, in 1933, Leeann and her husband
moved to the United States in 1956 and settled in Minnesota. Known as a great
cook by her friends, her husband, and her five children, she began catering
parties and teaching cooking classes in the 1970s, and in 1980 published
the first of her three cookbooks and opened her first restaurant, Leeann
Chin's Chinese Cuisine, in Minneapolis. |
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