The decade of the 1960s were turbulent times, from the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the Vietnam War, from the Civil Rights movement to various riots, and much more. With all these important issues occupying the news, it's not surprising that Boston's Chinese restaurants received much less attention during this decade.
During the 1960s, there would be far fewer advertisements for Chinese restaurants, mostly brief ads in a column format. However, there would be numerous requests in the newspapers for Chinese recipes, as more homemakers were trying to cook Chinese cuisine at home.
I've previously written a couple articles touching on Chinese restaurants during the 1960s, including
The Tale of Anita Chue and
A Chinese Restaurant in Mayberry? This article will provide additional information on this decade, and know that it's a work in progress, which will expand and grow over time.
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One of the most important and influential persons in the local area during this decade, concerning Chinese cuisine, was
Joyce Chen. She opened her first restaurant in Cambridge in 1958, the
Joyce Chen Restaurant at 617 Concord Avenue. I briefly discussed her in my prior article
Peking Duck: A History In The Local Region & Chinatown. Her restaurant was the first in the Boston+ region to serve
Mandarin cuisine as well as the iconic dish of
Peking Duck. Chen was also a pioneer in a number of other respects, such as popularizing the
all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet and coining the term "
Peking ravioli." During the 1960s, Joyce's popularity would soar.
Some sources claim that Joyce Chen invented the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, but I dispelled that myth in
Origins of the Chinese Buffet. I found multiple examples of Chinese restaurants, going back to 1949, serving such buffets years before Joyce opened her first restaurant.
Joyce owned her restaurant with her husband, Thomas Chen (who also worked as the manager). The Boston American, September 27, 1958, reported that one night, Thomas Chen had just closed the restaurant, and was walking with two employees, chefs, named Ling Chau and T.P. Liu. Two masked gunmen robbed them, including pistol, whipping Ling Chau. The gunmen got about $600, including the day’s receipts and the men's personal cash.
In the Boston Globe, March 29, 1960, there was a larger advertisement for the Joyce Chen restaurant, noting it served “Oriental Mandarin and Shanghai Specialties” and had the “Original Chinese Buffet.” The Buffet was available Tuesday-Wednesday, from 6pm-8pm, and Sunday, from 12:30pm-2:30pm. You could also get a lunch buffet, for only 99 cents, from Monday to Friday, 12pm-1:30pm.
Joyce was becoming so popular that she began teaching Chinese cooking classes. The Boston Herald, September 9, 1960, noted that the Cambridge Adult Center now offered an “Introduction to Chinese Cooking” by Joyce Chen.
An intriguing article appeared in the Boston Globe, March 5, 1961, a discussion on male vs female chefs. Louis Turco, the chef at Hotel Somerset, claimed, “Blended food like blended whiskey needs a man to handle it.” He also alleged, “Man is a creator and divine meals are one of his greatest creations.” He was not alone in his sentiments. Joyce Chen had a much different view, stating, “Most men don’t know how to boil water. All they know how to do is make sandwiches, and they need their wives to tell them where the peanut butter is located.” She also stated, “I’ve heard men talk about the wonderful meals their mothers made. I’ve never heard any bragging about dad’s cooking.”
In 1962, Joyce would privately publish a cookbook with over 100 recipes, the
Joyce Chen Cook Book, selling about 2000 copies. In 1963,
J.B. Lippincott Co., would then publish an edition. The
Boston Globe, November 2, 1963, published a review, noting, "
It is probably the finest book on authentic Chinese cooking ever published in the United States." There were recipes from various Chinese cuisines, including Mandarin, Shanghai, Chungking and Cantonese, from familiar dishes like
Egg Rolls and
Barbecued Spare Ribs, to less common options, such as Jellied Lamb Loaf and
Mandarin Cucumber Soup. It contained more than just recipes, with sections on Chinese ingredients, preparing tea, using chopsticks, growing bean sprouts, and much more.
The Boston Traveler, January 31, 1963, reported that the Boston Opera Group Guild were having special dinners before their latest productions, including one dinner at the Joyce Chen restaurant. Joyce noted that, “The fancier the foods the more honor bestowed on esteemed guests...A Chinese banquet is rarely served in this country because so much time-consuming work is done for each dish.” The article also included a recipe for Shanghai Duck, which was also in Joyce’s cookbook.
A television cooking show! The Boston Globe, September 25, 1966, reported that Joyce Chen was starting a television show, “Joyce Chen Cooks,” on public TV. There were going to be seven programs in this series. Joyce said that there’s no Chinese secret to her cooking, and that “Some of the beautiful, good things are very easy to prepare.” She added, that “there are no written recipes in real old-fashioned Chinese cooking. She learned to cook purely by ear from the family chef when she was a young girl in Peking.”
The article also noted that Joyce came to Boston from China with her husband,
Thomas Chen, in 1949. She was now a mother of 3, the oldest being 21 years old. When two of her children were students at the
Buckingham School in Cambridge, she made egg rolls for a school bazaar. Everyone loved them and Joyce was frequently asked for the recipe. She would then hold Chinese cooking classes for various Mothers Clubs, finally opening her own restaurant in 1958. The article also had her recipes for
Egg Foo Yung and
Egg Drop Soup.
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One year after the opening of Joyce Chen's restaurant, another Mandarin restaurant opened in the area.
Peking on Mystic, located at 66 High Street,
Medford, opened in 1959.
Lily Shang, the owner of the restaurant, came to the U.S. in 1940, soon after receiving a Master of Arts from Mount Holyoke in 1941. From 1948-1951, Shang taught classical Chinese at Columbia University. Sometime later in the 1950s, she opened a Chinese restaurant in Burlington, Massachusetts, and ran it on her own for about two years before selling it. After that, she opened Peking on Mystic, but is mainly a silent partner.
The Chief Chef at the restaurant was T.P. Liu, a master chef who began his apprenticeship in China at age 14, and came to the U.S. in 1957. This might be the same T.P. Liu who worked at Joyce Chen, and had been a victim of the armed robbery in 1958 with Thomas Chen.
The Boston American, February 3, 1960, noted that the Peking on Mystic had a “Chinese smorgasbord...which has caught on with customers to whom the names on a Chinese menu mean nothing at all.” They also served Peking Duck, for $9.50, and it needed to be ordered ahead of time.
An extensive review was presented in the Boston Globe, April 18, 1969, which mentioned they had 176 Chinese items on their menu, and a dozen or so American dishes. Their regional cooking included “subtle light dishes from the northeast (usually called Mandarin or Peking style), familiar Cantonese specialties and hot spicy concoctions from China’s southwest (usually called Chungking or Szechwan).” They also served more unusual seafood dishes like braised fish maw and braised sea cucumbers. The restaurant could seat about 120 people and their buffer cost $3.25 per person. Nine menu items needed to be ordered in advance, including Peking Duck; Spiced & Flaky Duck, Honeyed Duck, Sticky Rice & Duck, Flaky Chinese Ravioli and Steamed Silver Roll.
The restaurant would last until the late 1970s, when it became a new Chinese restaurant called
Wau Pei.
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The
Boston Traveler, January 4, 1960, presented this column of ads for several local Chinese restaurants, including
The Cathay House (70 Beach Street),
China House (146 Boylston Street),
Eddie Davis’ Steak House (444 Stuart Street), and
Joyce Chen (617 Concord Avenue, Cambridge). This type of column advertisement was very common during the 1960s.
A fire! The
Boston American, January 11, 1960, reported that a space-heater exploded in a tenement-business block at 76 Hudson Street in Chinatown, driving out some 30 people. It was an “
ancient four-story structure”and flames affected the first two floors, causing about $3500 of property damage.
An unfortunate death. The
Boston Globe, January 19, 1960, reported that about 2000 mourners paid tribute to
George Goon Mook, age 80, who was the 10-time president of the
National Chinese Merchants’ Association. Mook came to the U.S., from Canton, China, before the turn of the century when he was but a boy. During the 1930s, he was “
known traditionally as the ‘King of the Chinese”, and spent much of his life on Tyler Street, although for the last 5 years, he had lived at 132 Amory Street, Brookline. He served as the unofficial Mayor of Chinatown several times. Mook was survived by his wife,
Moy Shee, his two sons,
Ham and
Harry, and a grandson.
The
Jewish Advocate, February 4, 1960, had an advertisement, and short article, for the
Toa Toa Chinese Restaurant, located at 270 Parson Street, Brighton. The proprietor and host was Mr. "Ken" Chin Bow, who had 20 years of experience. The restaurant served traditional Chinese cuisine and offered take-out. The
Daily Record, February 6, 1961, noted that Ken's name was
Chin Loy Bow, of 14 Hudson Street. However, ads and mentions of the restaurant appear to have ended around the end of February 1961.
A lengthy feud and gunshots! The
Boston American, March 28, 1960, and the
Boston Traveler, March 28, 1960, reported that George Ken, age 39 of Harrison Avenue, who was an unemployed South End chef, was arrested for firing three shots at another man in a "
Chinatown feud shooting" on a crowded Beach Street. The intended victim was Henry Tank, age 51, of Hudson Street, and fortunately all of the bullets missed. Ken was charged with “
suspicion of assault with intent to murder,” and it was thought he had a feud with Tank, that might have extended 10 years. However, Ken claimed the feud was only five years old, resulting when Tank borrowed a camera from him and then and failed to return it. However, the newspapers failed to report the resolution of this matter.
Housing problems in Chinatown. The Boston Globe, April 11, 1960, reported on the issues of housing segregation and racial discrimination in the North. It initially noted, “there is more housing segregation in Boston and other large cities in the North today than in many Southern cities.” Part of the article concentrated on the specific issues of Chinatown.
Rev. Dr. Peter Y.F. Shih of the Chinese Christian Church of New England stated, “Chinatown is overcrowded and that American born children, when they get married, seek to leave the area but find it hard to obtain housing outside.” He continued, “Most families in Chinatown,…, occupy a room 25 feet by 35 feet, which they subdivide to meet the needs of their members, who average five to seven.” Terrible living conditions which obviously needed improvement.
Rev. Shih continued, "
…young people are no longer interested in going into the restaurant or laundry business and are going into mechanical and engineering fields.” However, he noted, “
But there is no danger that Chinese restaurants and laundries will cease to operate. There are 2 million Chinese refugees in Hong Kong just waiting for the word that will permit them to come to this country,…”
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Murder! The Boston Sunday Advertiser, June 19, 1960, stated that a "gang of hoodlums" were being sought for the murder of Chin Dong Yew, an 82 year old restaurant worker, outside his apartment at 5 Hudson Street. It was alleged that Yew had admonished the boys for loitering in his doorway. A later edition though reported that a 220 pound Somerville man was being held for crime and 4 other men, who were being questioned about the matter, would probably be released.
In a follow-up, the Boston Herald, June 21, 1960, stated that John F. Bellino, age 23, from Somerville, was being held on a $5000 bail, charged with the manslaughter of Chin Dong Yew. It seemed that at some point, Bellino lost his temper and backhanded Yew, who would fall and died of brain lacerations.
The Boston American, July 7, 1960, reported that the judge in this case wanted to reduce the charges down to simple assault, but the Assistant District Attorney vehemently protested the reduction so the judge decided to send it to the grand jury on manslaughter. It was alleged that Bellino was crossing Hudson Street, after having a meal in a Chinese restaurant, and offered to help Yew, who was carrying a bowl of rice and trying to open a door. Yew told him to go away and then Bellino struck him, causing Yew to fall to the ground, striking his head, and he died a few hours later.
Guilty! The Daily Record, November 30, 1960, stated that Bellino was found guilty of assault in a jury-waived trial, and sentenced to 2 years in the House of Corrections. The Boston Traveler, November 30, 1960, noted that the grand jury had refused to issue a manslaughter indictment.
Appeal! The
Boston Traveler, December 23, 1960, noted that Bellino sought a suspension of his 2 year jail sentence. The
Daily Record, December 24, 1960, added that the victim’s widow,
Mrs. Lee Shee Chin of Randolph had accepted $2500 in restitution from Bellino, and she now asked the judge to suspend the sentence. The judge decided to give the widow more time to consider the matter. Finally, the
Daily Record, December 28, 1960, reported that Bellino was ordered to complete his sentence as now the victim's family was opposed to his release.
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The Boston Globe, June 25, 1960, reported that Set Sing, aka Benny Set, a 63 year old man who lived on Tyler Street in Chinatown, was arrested on charges of making opium pills in his apartment. He had no known criminal records but the police seized about $1,000 in opium.
Another sad situation. The
Boston Globe, September 2, 1960, reported on a murder/suicide in Chinatown. At about 9am,
Wong Ho, age 85 (of 14 Tyler St), fatally shot
Wong Jo Tow, age 82, and then shot himself with a .32 revolver. Wong Ho was found in his 4th floor room with a bullet wound in his head. Wong Jo Tow, of the same address, was found at the foot of the stairs near his 3rd floor room with a bullet wound in the chest. The article stated there was no known motive at the time, although the
Boston American, September 2, 1960, stated,: “
Police said the two men, once good friends, had become antagonistic toward each other of late.” Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any follow-up articles that might have explained what happened.
The
Boston Globe, October 9, 1960, published a recipe for
Chinese Duck Sauce, which was allegedly from a large, unnamed Chinese restaurant in Boston. The main ingredients include plums, apricots, other fruits, vinegar, sugar and pimiento.
In the
Boston Herald, October 30, 1960, there was a large advertisement for
Dave Wong’s China Sails, with locations in
Salem, Revere and
Chestnut Hill, alleging that it was “s
erving more people than any other Chinese restaurant in New England.” I haven't seen any evidence to support this assertion.
More information was provided in the
Boston Herald, October 8, 1961, which noted China Sails; uses “
finest quality ingredients; mushrooms from France..." Dave Wong stated, "
You have to start out with the best if you want to end up with the best,” Dave started working as a helper in a Chinese restaurant when he was 13 years old. About 9 years ago, Dave opened the first China Sails in Salem, eventually opening in Revere (managed by
Warren Wong, a cousin), and Chestnut Hill (managed by
Jimmy Wong, his brother).
The
Boston American, October 19, 1960, published an ad for the Grand Opening of
China Pearl, at 9 Tyler Street, and noted to be “
Boston’s only dine and dance Chinese Restaurant.” This restaurant occupied the former site of
Hon Loy Doo, a Chinese restaurant, which had been in operation since at least 1935. The
China Pearl is still in existence (although currently being renovated), and is currently the oldest, still-existing Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.
The
Boston Record American, July 10, 1962, stated that the owner-manager of China Pearl was
Winton Bee, a long, active civic leader and prominent in Chinese immigration affairs, however at that same time. there was a legal notice, where China Pearl Restaurant, Inc. sought a liquor license and the manager was listed as Billy Chin. The
Boston Globe, February 7, 1965, noted that Billy Chin was the manager and that Winton was a previous manager. It was also mentioned that Billy Chin was born in Boston, but his parents returned to China and he grew up in a small village, Chong Lin. He would return to the U.S. in 1953.
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The
Boston American, December 30, 1960, printed an ad for the newly renovated
Golden Rice restaurant, located at 8 Tyler Street. The restaurant was open daily from 11am-3am. The restaurant had previously been the
Wah Yuen Restaurant. Golden Rice would exist at least through December 1963.
There was a recipe in the
Boston American, January 16, 1961, for
Hung Yun Bang, Chinese almond cookies.
In August 1950, the
Mandarin House opened in Saugus on Route 1, taking over the site over a former ice cream parlor. In 1958,
Madeline and
William Wong purchased the restaurant, and renamed it the
Kowloon Restaurant. The
Boston American, August 24, 1961, published a brief ad for the Kowloon Restaurant and Peninsula Cocktail Lounge, noting its "
Delicious Chinese food and Polynesian drinks." This is an iconic restaurant, still in existence, and one of the oldest restaurants on Route 1.
The
Boston American, May 13, 1961, reported that there was a police raid on gambling on Tyler Street in Chinatown. 15 men were arrested in a basement club playing mahjong, and the gambling equipment was seized, along with $126. Ten of the men were fined $70 each, while 4 others were fined only $5 for being present in the club.
Fong Soo Hoo, the owner of club, was fined $50.
Abduction and forced prostitution? The Boston Herald, November 14, 1961, reported on a disturbing story. The Boston police were investigating the matter of a 15 year old Salem girl (although later articles would claim she was 16 years old) who allegedly was abducted and then sold for "immoral purposes" to 34 different men in Chinatown for $12 each. The girl left her home on October 12, and was reported missing by her sister. Recently, she was traced to a café in Newton where she was taken into custody, and then given over to the Youth Service Board.
Four men allegedly involved in the abduction were arrested. John Blizzard Jr., age 20, of Arlington and William Kenney, age 24, of Bedford, were arrested, probable cause was found and they were bound over to the grand jury. Eugene Travers, age 19, of Cambridge, and Ronald Beaulieu of Roxbury, were given suspended 18 month jail sentences and placed on probation for 3 years on charges for being accessories after the fact. Travers, Blizzard and Kenney were then also charged with deriving support from a prostitute. It was claimed that all four men split the proceeds the abducted girl had earned.
The
Boston Herald, November 15, 1961, then reported that the abducted girl, a "pretty blond girl," was a 16 year old runaway, and had earned over $400 during a 3 day period in Chinatown. However, the
Boston Herald, January 6, 1962, stated that Blizzard and Kenney were not indicted by grand jury. Apparently, the matter didn't appear to be an abduction, and just a matter of a runaway.
The matter didn't end there. The
Boston Globe, January 3, 1962, reported on a hearing before the Boston License Commission concerning the
Lotus Inn Restaurant, at 85 Beach Street, which may have been established around 1959. It was alleged that the Chinese restaurant had used its premises for immoral purposes. The allegations were that the 16 year-old girl from Salem girl had been brought by two men to the Lotus Inn. The girl was given a pill by one of the men, and then with a third men, they toured various places in Boston where immortal acts were performed. The Lotus Inn proprietor,
Louis Yee Fong, claimed no knowledge of the incidents. The matter was taken under advisement and the
Boston Herald, January 17, 1962, reported the restaurant's license was suspended for an indefinite time. I didn't find any further information about the Lotus Inn, and it might have closed after this matter.
Population of Chinatown. The
Boston Herald, December 8, 1961, stated that Chinatown contained about 4000 Chinese-Americans, some 900 families, each with an average of 4-5 children.
The
Boston Record American, January 31, 1962, mentioned that grand opening of the Four Seas, a new Chinese restaurant at 4 Tyler St. The
Boston Record American, February 7, 1962, added that the name had been inspired by a famed saying by
Confucius: “W
ithin Four Seas all men are brothers.” Unfortunately, the
Boston Traveler, September 15, 1964, reported the restaurant received an indefinite suspension of its food license for the charge of liquor being exposed for sale there.
Another gambling raid. The
Boston Traveler, February 2, 1962, stated that the local police, acting on a tip from the State Police, raided a building on Beach Street and found seven Chinese, ages 60-91, playing dominoes. The police alleged they were playing
pie kew, a gambling game using Chinese dominos. The police confiscated the dominos, some poker chips, and $635 in cash.
Jang Sing, age 65, of Hudson Street, was found guilty of permitting the premises to be used for gambling while 6 others were found guilty of being present where gaming implements were found.
The
Boston Herald, February 5, 1962, discussed the local Chinatown celebrations, firecrackers and traditional family celebrations, for the new Year of the Tiger. Small families celebrated at home but larger ones needed to go to restaurants. “
The biggest Boston families—the houses of Chin, Wong, Yee and Lee—are so large they have to meet in restaurants.” The article also mentioned
Miss Shirley Soo Hoo, 26 years old, who held the unofficial title of
Miss Boston Chinatown. Boston didn't have its own Miss Chinatown pageant, but Soo Hoo had been a contestant in the New York City pageant two years ago.
There was a brief ad for the
Green Pagoda, at 1270 Boylston Street, in the
Boston Traveler, May 18, 1962.
The
Boston Globe, June 5, 1962, posted a recipe for
Chinese Spareribs.
The
Record American, June 7, 1962, reported that Chinatown was in mourning over the death of
Wong A. Jayne, age 66, its honorary mayor for the last quarter century. His name had been largely unknown outside Chinatown until February 9, 1956, when a Chinese facing deportation invaded the Merchant’s Building on Hudson Street, and wounded the mayor and two others in a wild shooting affray. Jayne had lived at 168 Dent Street, West Roxbury with wife Nellie. He also left a son, Allan Wong Jayne of Weston, and two daughters, Virginia and Valerie.
The
Boston Globe, June 7, 1962, added that his name was Almer Wong Jayne, and he came to California, from Canton, China, as a boy and eventually moved to Boston. He was a former member of the foreign exchange,
Hanover Trust Co., and also served as interpreter for the U.S. Immigration Service in Boston. In addition, he was the proprietor of the
Gamsun restaurant for 38 years.
The
Boston Globe, June 22, 1962, alleged there were about 5000 Chinese restaurants in New York. That number is highly suspect, and based on other sources, the number might have been closer to 1000, which is still a significant amount, and might also be an exaggeration. In comparison, there were probably less than 25 Chinese restaurants in Boston's Chinatown.
The
Boston Globe, August 18, 1962, offered another recipe for Chinese Spareribs. I'll note that this recipe calls for food coloring, which had allegedly become the norm in Chinese restaurants. The famed Anita Chue claimed that her husband, Gordon, was the first to use food coloring to add a red coloring to spareribs.
Another new Chinese restaurant. The
Boston Daily Record, November 23, 1959, noted the opening of the
Ho Ho restaurant at 14 Hudson Street. The
Boston American, May 22, 1961, then added that the restaurant was under the management of Sam Set, and was open from 3pm-3am. The
Boston Traveler, September 13, 1963, also added that the host was David Wong and the restaurant was decorated with an “
exotic display of rare, hand-carved teak and ivory figurines,” They served Cantonese cuisine, prepared by their chef who had recently arrived from Hong Kong. The restaurant offered a $10 evening special for two people, which included dinner, parking, and two tickets to a theater performance. The restaurant would close around 1978.
A buffet in Chinatown. The
Jewish Advocate, May 16, 1963, noted, “
Something new in Boston’s Chinatown! Gamsun is introducing a new feature beginning May 18, for your dining pleasure. A Hong Kong Smorgasbord or Buffet will be spread to tempt and delight you. A new cook from Hong Kong has been added to the Gamsun staff of fine chefs and there will be exotic new dishes as well as the high quality foods for which Gamsun is famous.” This was not the first Chinese buffet in the area, that would have been the Joyce Chen Restaurant in Cambridge, but was likely the first one in Chinatown.
The
Jewish Advocate, September 19, 1963, published an ad for the
Far East Restaurant, at 183 Mass. Ave. It claimed to serve "Authentic Chinese Cuisine," and was open each night to 3am.
Heroin! The
Boston Herald, November 2, 1963, reported that the police raid a 1st floor apartment at 30 Oxford Street, finding "
120 decks of heroin" hidden in the kitchen. The heroin was worth about $1500 of heroin and the police also seized $4645 in cash, arresting a 65 year old man for the heroin.
The
Boston Sunday Advertiser, December 8, 1963, mentioned that famed restaurant owner,
Bob Lee, had been re-elected as president of the Chinese Merchants’ Association. He was also now the unofficial mayor of Chinatown. At his restaurant, “
One of the most popular is the Pu-Pu Platter, a new and exciting combination of shrimp puffs, Rumaki, barbecued spareribs, fried shrimps and barbecued chicken wings. You may toast these by yourself at an open fire at your own table.” When is the last time you saw Rumaki on a Pu-Pu platter?
The
Record American, January 31, 1964, discussed the first Chinese traditional marriage ceremony that was ever held in Chinatown. It was conducted at the
On Leong Merchants Association auditorium. Mr. and Mrs. Keck On Lee, gave their daughter, Betty, to Robert Suey Sin Mah in a bilingual ceremony, attended by about 100 people, performed by
Dr. Tehyi Hsieh, the only Chinese justice of the peace in the U.S. “
Standing before three ivory statuettes, representing Prosperity, Serenity and Longevity, the radiant bride was presented her rings by Dr. Hsieh."
The elderly Chinatown thrive better than others. The
Boston Globe, June 17, 1964, discussed a report in the latest issue of the Boston University Medical Center’s journal. The authors, a husband-wife team, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Chen, had received their master degrees from B.U. They interviewed subjects for several months, from both Chinatown and the South end. Their premise was that “
cultural background is one of the most important influences on success in the aging process.”
One of their conclusions was that, “The Chinese are more successful in aging than the American because the Chinese culture prepares them for old age and leaves them with a role in society.” In addition, “In the first place, the Chinese lives for and in terms of his family instead of striving to become a lone individualist,…American families, on the other hand, tend to split up and live in different households. As a result, the older generations do not have the opportunity to share in the trials and tribulations of the younger generations, and begin to feel left out altogether, they say.” The article also stated, “…the Chinese look upon retirement as a reward, whereas Americans tend to dread it as an inevitable loss of prestige and financial independence.”
The Boston Traveler, September 4, 1964, reported that 4 men held up the Asia Restaurant, at 79 Harrison Avenue, and got away with $160, fleeing in a car. They entered restaurant at about 1am, brandishing a revolved and pressing it against the night manager, Yee C. Hong, who handed over the cash in the register.
Another Mayor of Chinatown? The Record American, September 11, 1964, mentioned Henry Oi, the Mayor of Chinatown, was at the opening of the new Hawaiian Restaurant & Lounge at 146 Boylston Street, which occupied the former location of China House.
The Boston Globe, October 21, 1964, printed a simple recipe for plain Chinese Fried Rice, calling for 3 cups of cooked rice, 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, pepper, and salt. The recipe then mentioned you can add a variety of ingredients to the rice, from meat to veggies, and you generally should use one cup of diced ingredients. You could also add a beaten egg and scallions.
A pessimistic article appeared in the Boston Herald, November 12, 1964, titled "Little of the Old Flavor Left in Chinatown." The article claimed Chinatown was a “tiny place,” with maybe only 300 persons there (although that number is erroneous, and quite low, based on other articles of that time). The article continued, discussing how many had left Chinatown for the suburbs. “The exodus started years ago, when successful residents joined the drift to the suburbs, where, incidentally, a while new school of Chinese restaurants has come into being.” This did occur, but the exact numbers aren't mentioned, and it's been said elsewhere, that even Chinese, living outside of Chinatown, commonly visited, especially on Sundays.
It was then said in the article that “The section exists largely on its eating places and gift shops—where the patrons are overwhelmingly Caucasian. Chopsticks are in little demand, and the flavor is almost as often Polynesian as Chinese.” It's true that Polynesian restaurants started to proliferate at this time, though the exact numbers would be interesting to see.
The Record American, January 25, 1965, stated the Blue Hawaii Chinese restaurant was now open, at Boylston Street, opposite the Prudential Center. It served Chinese and Polynesian food, and its manger was Jimmy Seeto. It was then noted in the Record American, March 12, 1965, that the Blue Hawaii had sought a liquor license transfer from a South End cafe. It was mentioned that the restaurant was at 820 Boylston Street, and the operator was Soo Hoo Munten. The transfer was opposed by Rev. Dr. Frederick M. Meek, a pastor, who was concerned about the number of liquor licenses in the neighborhood, which he felt could taint the atmosphere.
A quick blurb in the Boston Globe, April 7, 1965, stated, “Our first Chinese restaurants were opened by Cantonese emigrants in the old West who tired of buffalo steaks.”
The Boston Sunday Herald, July 18, 1965, printed an interesting article, titled "Chinatown: The Other Side of its Mystery." The article claimed that many people only know Chinatown at night, “But there is another side to Chinatown in the daytime.” Chinatown was said to be home to about 11,000 Chinese, including 4000 who lived there, 3000 living in the suburbs who often listed, and 4000 from around New England, who also frequently visited. It also said that Chinatown’s population commonly doubled on Sundays.
It was also said that many Chinese restaurants remained open until 3am, and a few even all night. Plus, it was noted that Chinatown possessed no park or public playground, or even its own press. They still used the bulletin board on Oxford Street, at the corner of Beach Street. Although most of the postings on the board were in Chinese, there were now some in English as well. A policeman was quoted as saying, “
Seldom, if ever, do we have a criminal problem with the Chinese population.” However, it was noted that law enforcement considered gambling to be a problem, although the Chinese did not. It was also estimated that 90% of the Chinese in Chinatown were U.S. citizens. It was finally noted, “
All the laundry tickets for Chinese laundries in New England are printed at the Shanghai Printing Co. on Oxford St." and the proprietor was
Henry Wong.
The
Boston Globe, October 7, 1965, briefly noted, “
Chinatown, with its many inexpensive restaurants, is a favorite area for teenagers and college students.”
This cartoon, from the
Record American, January 27, 1966, is so true, and is still as relevant today as it was then. In fact, it would apply to many more restaurants than just Chinese ones.
A disturbing decision by the Boston School Committee. The
Boston Globe, October 20, 1966, reported on a decision by the Boston School Committee to reclassify about 670 Chinese-Americans public school students as "
members of the white race." The decision was stated to be "
a technical one designed to prevent the number of racially imbalanced schools from rising by two this year." The article continued, "
The board ruled that the Quincy and Lincoln elementary schools, with predominantly Chinese student bodies, were not racially imbalanced." The Chinese community in the Boston area was shocked and upset by the board's decision, and rightfully so.
Education Commissioner Owen B. Kiernan also wasn't pleased with the board's decision, and stated "i
t is not the function of the School Committee to tally up the imbalanced schools." He also indicated that the standards of the U.S. Census Bureau classify the Chinese as non-white. The
Boston Globe, November 8, 1966, reported that the State Board of Education had declared there were 57 racially imbalanced schools in four communities. This was one less than the year before, but Boston had increased by two. Kiernan chose to ignore the Boston School Committee's decision to reclassify Chinese students as "white."
In 1967, Chinese restaurants seemed to be an element in numerous television shows. For example, in January, the
Gomer Pyle show had an episode called "
You Bet Your Wonton," which was synopsized as “
Gomer picks on a sedate Chinese restaurant as the site for a going away party and he upsets both gamblers and the police who plan on raiding the joint.” In February, the
Andy Griffith Show had an episode, "
Aunt Bee's Restaurant," which I
previously detailed. In March, the
Monkees presented an episode titled “
Monkees Chow Mein,” which was about, “
Hungry Peter pilfers extra fortune cookies in a Chinese restaurant and discovers one containing a secret formula intended for a Chinese spy ring”
and in October, the
Red Skelton Hour had a skit where a waiter in a Chinese restaurant discovered a time bomb in a fortune cookie. I suspect there were other shows at this time which also were based on Chinese restaurants.
A Chinese New Year celebration! The
Boston Globe, February 8, 1967, wrote
about the
Chinese New Year, the
Year of the Ram.
Billy Chin, owner of the China Pearl restaurant, told the newspaper that large Chinese-American families have associations, which help family members and arrange for family meetings and banquets. Billy belongs to the
Chin Family Association, and his association, like others, will have a banquet for the holiday. There will likely be 50-80 family members at their banquet. “
Meat and poultry will not be served at these elaborate dinners. Eggs, clams, oysters will be featured, as well as vegetable dishes.”; “According to Billy, the lack of meat and poultry at the dinners can probably be traced back to an old Chinese tradition of ‘
no bloodletting’ during a time of celebration.
The
Boston Globe, February 19, 1967, reported that from 1955-1965, 171,869 persons moved out of Boston and that “
By 1959, urban renewal and relocation had become realities.” In addition, it was noted, that “
To the southeast, an expressway and more urban renewal have sent some 5000 of the city’s 15,000 Chinese into the suburbs, mainly Brookline.”
Heroin and opium! The
Record American, April 13, 1967, reported that the police raided 30 Oxford Street, seizing $12,000 worth of heroin and opium and arresting three Chinese men, ages 67-73. The raid was the result of a 2 year investigation. The
Boston Traveler, April 13, 1967, later added that the men had obtained the drugs, through the mail, from Malaysia, Formosa and other Asian countries. The
Boston Globe, August 24, 1967, discussed their fates, after they plead guilty to charges of buying and distributing heroin. Two of them, admitted addicts, received 2 year suspended sentences but had to report to the U.S. Public Health Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, for treatment. The third man was sentenced to 2 years in prison, but part of that sentence would also be spent at the Lexington hospital.
Starting in 1968, there were numerous newspaper articles about the alleged dangers of MSG at Chinese restaurants. I'll be addressing this issue in a future article.
The
Jewish Advocate, October 24, 1968, presented an ad for the newly decorated
Ho Sai Gai, located at 14 Hudson Street in Chinatown. The restaurant had a second location in Brookline.
The
Boston Globe, December 17, 1968, had a small ad for the new
Aku-Aku, “
Greater Boston’s Newest Polynesian-Chinese Restaurant,” located at 215 Concord Turnpike, Cambridge. It was open every day from 11:30am-2am.
Interestingly, the
Boston Globe, January 30, 1969, provided a restaurant review for
Yee Hong Guey, located at 34 Oxford Street, and which had been open since at least 1929. The review began, "
A small restaurant currently enjoying something of a vogue is the Yee Hong Guey..." It continued, “
Chop Suey and Chow Mein dishes predominate in the basically Cantonese menu,” and it was described as “
typical of run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurants in town.”
The
Record American, April 24, 1969, published an ad for the
China Pavilion, “
First time in Boston’s Chinatown." Located at 14 Hudson Street, its grand opening was held on April 24.
Chinese restaurants for newcomers. The
Boston Globe, September 26, 1969, published a
Newcomer’s Guide to Boston; and there was a section of restaurant recommendations. “
There is Chinatown, with big restaurants, often with liquor, like Bob Lee’s Islander, the Cathay House and China Pearl. And smaller ones with traditional Cantonese cooking and just a few seats—like the House of Roy and Yee Hung Guey. There are Bostonians who will insist that the local variety does not have to bow to anyone anywhere—and the price often is the best bargain in town.” Among the personal favorites of the writer were "
Peking on the Mystic, Medford Square, with its whole range of Chinese cooking; and Joyce Chen, in three locations close to intown.” The article also noted, “
Italian restaurants, like the Chinese, can be a good buy, and they, like the Chinese, have followed the exodus to the suburbs and can be found everywhere.”
As the decade was nearly over, Chinatown received a form of recognition. The
Boston Herald Traveler, November 13, 1969, reported that a sign on the Southeast Expressway, which formerly read “
Exit—Kneeland-Beach Streets” had been changed to “
Exit-Kneeland Street—Chinatown.”
The end of the 1960s came on a dark note, an airing of the problems which plagued Chinatown, and which needed assistance to resolve. The
Boston Globe, December 8, 1969, reported on a 2 hour meeting between the Chinatown community and city officials, to discuss their grievances. The article stated, “
Urban renewal and highways have cut down Chinatown and made an already bad housing situation worse, residents and businessmen complained.” Usually, the Chinatown community resolved its own problems, but they now needed assistance. It was also mentioned, “
Chinatown, with about 3000 residents, lies in a four-block section of downtown Boston in the area of Kneeland, Harrison, Essex and Kingston streets.”
The article noted, “And while the Chinese were once able to solve certain problems among themselves, increased immigration and the difficulty of living in the city have made it necessary to seek help from official sources.” One complaint was that, “Parks and recreation facilities are insufficient...” Another issue was that, “The proximity of the Combat Zone, with its nightclubs, its addicts and prostitutes, has brought crime into the narrow dark streets of Chinatown.” They were also worried, “.., the Chinese community has seen little militancy among its youth, but some people say there have been signs of it. They suggest this militancy could flourish in a year or so, especially if the city fails to respond.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, “The Office of Human Rights plans to form a task force for each problem area.” Would they accomplish anything with these task forces in the 1970s?
The Boston Globe, December 11, 1969, followed up on this meeting. It stated, “Few are aware, however, that behind the exotic façade is an unhappy little community, struggling desperately with a multitude of problems which threatens its very life. They are problems like overcrowded, substandard housing, a lack of education and recreation facilities, restive youth and destitute senior citizens, unsatisfactory street lighting and street cleaning and crime.” The article also noted that Chinatown had about 4000 residents, and about half didn’t speak English. It was the 4th largest Chinatown in the U.S., after San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles. Chinatown had 20 restaurants, 2 Chinese schools, 1 public school, 2 Chinese Christian churches and 1 Catholic church.
The End For Now
A History of Boston's Chinatown and Its Restaurants:
Check out Part 1,
covering the 18th & 19th centuriesCheck out Part 2, covering the years 1901-1920Check out Part 3, covering the 1920s.Check out Part 4, covering 1930-1959 Check out Part 6, the tale of Ruby Foo.Check out Part 7, the tale of Anita ChueCheck out Part 8, the tale of Mary YickCheck out Part 9, a Deeper Look into Two Restaurants
And also see my
Compilation Post, with links to my additional articles about Chinese restaurants, outside Boston and in Connecticut, as well as a number of related matters.
(Please note, that as of September 10, 2025, this article has been revised/expanded, and now is about twice as long as the prior article.)
