All about Chinese restaurants, and their workers

[kenny]

I really enjoyed this lengthy read.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/13/cooka%C2%80%C2%99s-tale

 

[FancyIntense]

Read it, WOW! Makes you want to go back to the kitchen and tip the cooks.

 

[iLander]

Interesting read! It brought a few things to mind for me:

I suspect that much the same thing goes on with Mexican workers. I know that in my local fancy seafood restaurant that there is an off-menu quesadilla which is the best anywhere. There are a large quantity of Mexican restaurant cooks in gourmet, "white tablecloth" restaurants.

I've glimpsed into the lives of illegal office cleaners and lawn workers as well. The company hires one legal immigrant "on the books" and pays them an outrageous wage. The check is cashed every week and the money is distributed in the bank parking lot to the multiple family members that actually do the work. My DS works at a bank, and sees this every Friday.

Interestingly, there are several buses that flow between the US Chinatowns. You can travel between Boston and NYC for $60, and those guys drive seriously fast. They usually leave from Chinatown on a Friday evening and return on Sunday afternoon. The buses are usually filled with the Chinese moms visiting kids at school or work or visa versa. The Chinese families that do manage to emigrate keep very close in this way.

My local Chinese restaurant is owned by a family, and over the years we've watched their daughter grow up. First there was a playpen by the register, then a little desk, now a keyboard where she takes her piano lessons from another Chinese lady. She practices with headphones on, and her mother is very proud. The restaurant has maybe 8 tables, it's more of takeout place, and the little girl is shoe-horned in, but she seems happy. I feel terrible buying lunch there for $4.99 for the combo, so we usually wait until after 4:00 when the price rises to $7.99. And I tip.

 

[LaraOnline]

That was a wonderful article. Thank you for posting.

 

[bluegirl123]

Kinda hits close to home. My parents were sponsored over as farm labourers (but my parents have known people who smuggled over by snake heads), but my dad back could not take the work, so the only other option was working at a Chinese restaurant.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

That was amazing, it certainly helps to remind me of how lucky I am.