It Started with a Grocery Store

For atleast three (and probably more) generations of Chinese immigrants from the Toisan County of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) China and from neighboring Hong Kong islands settled in the Midsouth (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama) and became shopkeepers in the racially divided South. This is hardly a unique story given that almost every Chinese American that I know with roots in the South either grew up in a grocery store or their parents or grandparent did. This is my family's story.

My dad was already an American citizen by his dad, immigrated to the US in the late 1940's after WWII. Went to high school in Gary, Indiana; worked in his uncle's laundry business and was drafted in the US Army during the Korean War era. After his two years of service, he was encouraged by relatives to come to Mississippi to own his own business. After a short time of apprenticeship in the grocery store business, he rented a building in the predominately black community of Baptist Town in Greenwood and set up shop there. He would run his grocery business from 4am to Midnight by himself; selling for example sodas, luncheon meat, and crackers to busy farm laborers who picked / chopped cotton in the local farms. Dad, like many of the Chinese grocers would offer credit to his clientele in between payday.

Despite (or maybe in spite of) all the criticisms and discouragement that he got from some folks who told him that he was too young (he was 24 when he started) and how dangerous and lonely it must have been doing this by himself; Dad managed to build up quite a business. After a few years, one of the local Chinese families introduced an eligible young female relative to my dad and encourage him to write to her in Hong Kong. Dad took a break from the grocery business and spent two months in HK to court and marry this young lady (my Mom). Dad returned to Mississippi and resumed his business. Mom followed a few months later and was met at the airport by Dad and her cousin Edmund Hoy. I can only imagine what sort of culture shock awaited my Mom; who grew up in post WWII Hong Kong with predominately Chinese friends and families to spend the rest of her life in the rural South running a grocery store in a black neighborhood from the late 50's thru the racially charged Civil Right era of the 60's and beyond.

My Dad eventually bought his own larger store down the street. After I was born, Mom and Dad explored relocating the grocery business to places such as Tupelo, MS (known as the birthplace of singer Elvis Presley) to as far as Amarillo, TX. They decided to stay in Greenwood since they felt like they wouldn't have support (and community) if they moved to such far off places. Using his grocery store as a springboard, Dad eventually bought into real estate (including many acres of farm land). Being a country boy from Toisan, Dad entertained some farming aspirating for a short while raising cattle and planting crops out int the countryside while my Mom ran the grocery store solo. During this time, my siblings and I grew up in the back of our grocery store. For a time, we also had black maid / caretaker (the irony is years later "The Help" was filmed in our Baptist Town neighborhood about these hard working and dedicated women). Interestingly, one the clerks that worked for my parents was Willie Norwood (father of pop singer Brandy and Ray J).

We never really left the Grocery Store, even when Dad tried many other endeavors (he holds a US Patent for a mechanical fishing hook, opened one of the first liquor stores authorized by the State, bought many rental housing properties, and his dream Chinese banquet style restaurant). By the time the restaurant was opened (for about 30 years), we had finally closed the grocery business. We still own the property and it's home to many good memories.

Greenwood lies at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta.

Dad in the laundry business in Indiana

an early photo of Dad in a store

Mom & Dad's wedding in Hong Kong in the late 50's.

Mom and Dad in their store on Young Street.

Here's a recent photo of Dad's old store (with a newer side addition built afterwards) on Young Street. As a young single shopkeeper, Dad operated long hours from 4am to midnight at this location. We moved to a larger location down the block before my brother Humphrey was born.

this is the 2nd (and larger) grocery store in the 60's. We moved into this location before my brother Humphrey was born.

We pretty much grew up in our store.

My uncle and I in my parent's store in the late 60's

Much of the Chinese social community revolved around our stores; all of the other parents became our "Aunts" and "Uncles" in our little towns. There used to be all night Mah-jong sessions that our folks would have at someone's store.

Many Chinese families such as ours, grew up either in the back of our stores or nearby.

Recently, I found out that the empty lot where our former liquor store once stood was turned into a memorial for Blues legend Robert Johnson (supposedly the spot where he had died from poisoning, many decades prior). This is down the street from Dad's first grocery store and a block from the second one.