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Alright, today is February 2nd, 2021. My name is Sonia He, and today I'm interviewing Mr. Bach Won Mah for the Houston Asian American Archive. His daughter Jeannie Moon will be with us to aid in communicating during these questions.

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Thank you so much for your time today Mr. Mah. First, could you tell us about your early life, and where and when were you born? Taishan Guangzhou, China.

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[SH: Ok.] October 26, 1922. And how would you describe the household you grew up in? The house built very strong, yeah it's

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good for 100 years, but the hurricanes don’t mean nothing. But don't have no indoor plumbing. You cook with the wood. I

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sleep in the wood–wood–wood bed. Don’t have no mattress. [JM: Talk about your grandmother.] My grandmother 100% Christian.

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[JM: Christian.] She walked to church every Sunday, and she wanted to take me to the church, too. But a lot of time I tell her I go fishing. I'm not going to go church.

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And she said the church had a few [unintelligible], but the few time we eat there was only [unintelligible], no meat so I told her I don't want to go church no more. The [unintelligible] don’t have no meat only 5 cent(?).

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I said, the next time I have ten cents I’ll buy you meat, the barbeque pork. [laughs] She is a 100% Christian. And she don’t want to ride a bus to save the money,

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and she walked to the church and, rain or shine. She helped a lot of people during her lifetime. And most people in China is a farmer, very–really poor and she helped a lot

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of people when they're hungry. And sometimes she don't eat, give the food to somebody who’s hungry. Yes, she's that good. She lived to be 87 years old.

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How would you describe the neighborhood you grew up in? All the neighborhood nice but mostly uneducated and they all do farming. During the daytime, nobody close the–nobody closed their doors because uh

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it's a lot different there. We don't have no policemen and everybody obey the law. But most of the people, many smoke.

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Because you don't smoke when you're 18 years old, they don't call you⁠—they'll call you a boy, not a man yet. So in China 99% young men up to 18 years old, they smoke to become a man.

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What were your parents’ occupation? Well my mom is just a housewife. My dad is in San Antonio, Texas. And what were some of the values your parents or your grandparents emphasized in your

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upbringing? Well a long time ago, the immigration law–the Chinese come to United States. When you go back to China, get married, you cannot bring your wife

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here. Until the the law changed in 1943. Yes before the-the Chinese and United States mostly uneducation. There's a labor, we don't get recognized as a number two, just a number two—number two

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citizen. And we had uh all the hard labor work. There's a laundry man, grocery man, a café man. And even you got education you can't find no job. So this is that Chinese, 90% make a living on

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hard labor. 12 hours a day. $2 a day, that’s all. And long time ago, before the earthquake in 1906 (?), the Chinese worked on the farm.

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50 cents a day. You left for Hong Kong in 1938. Why did you move and what did you do while you were living in Hong Kong? I didn't move to Hong Kong because I had to go to Hong Kong because it’s the only

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place I can get on the steam ship, come the United States. I-I catch the last train from Canton to Hong Kong before—a day before the Japanese occupied my hometown. [JM: The land of opportunity.]

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So when did you move to the US and why did you decide to come to the United States? Well in China, they call the United States: Mei Guo (literal translation to beautiful country). It's a beautiful country.

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Kim Son is a mountain-mountain-golden mountain. When you come to United States, you get rich. But I come here, it’s all different. Even in China, believe in… when

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Chinese go back to China from the United States, mostly if you got eight hundred dollars and you call you a rich man. Most time eight hundred dollars at that time in China is a lot of money. Everything

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is a cheap you know you can buy a vegetable as low as 5 cents a pound, you know. And you got 20–if I got 20 cents, I feel rich. I feel really rich, very rich for 20 cents.

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Could you describe the journey to the United States? Train. An oceanliner and a train. Yeah yeah no the train. The train, the ocean liner, ocean liner and the train.

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Ah yah. You rode the train and then the oceanliner, remember? The boat. The boat. Yeah when I went Hong

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Kong, I went to United States on a steamship called Courage. Courage liner and we stopped in Shanghai, Japan, Hawaii, and San Francisco. It’s all together 21 days in the

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ship. What were the challenges of moving to and living in San Antonio? I was taken to the Angel Island, and I stayed there 28 days

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and my father hired the best lawyer in San Francisco, and he said–he said don’t mention he take charge for my case. So I land, I think I land in San

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Francisco I was [unintelligible]. And I live with the Tom Benson (?) offices upstairs and with the Mr.

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Lee. That's his employee, and he take care of me, you know just buy the food, go to the movie, show me around San Francisco. And then before I take the train come to San Antonio.

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Okay what was it what was hard to do in the time, learning English. You had to learn English. In San Antonio. Oh yeah when I-I come to San

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Antonio about four days before Christmas in 1938. I–I live in my father's back of the store, the living quarters. And we–we we don't have much anything.

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We even eat dinner on a big block. And those old day, everything really cheap. The number one was a delicious apple, is only 3 dollars a box.

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It's a 72 apple, we sold for 5 cents. Everything 5 cents, ice cream, bar, utilities, Coca-Cola, 5 cents. 6 for Cola.

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When we sold one Coca-Cola, we only made one cent. That’s 20%. The ice cream and utility can be 5 cents, 6 for a quarter.

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And everything we sold, we make one penny. And that’s 20%. And all year round you work 12 hours a day, no air condition. 15 minutes for lunch.

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And then the year's end, you're lucky you make four percent net profit. And uh those old day you buy shirt for five-fifty cents. Buy a good pair of pants, dollar ninety-five cents.

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A good pair of leather shoes, two dollars ninety five cents. With 10 dollars, you shop like a millionaire. [JM: Talk about how you had to learn English. You had to learn⁠—in night school.

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Night school.] Oh I go to night school to learn English. I told the teacher I only want to learn English nothing else.

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Arithmetic, I can–I can teach you because I’m good at arithmetic. In China when you don't have a good arithmetic, you cannot out go out. To most Chinese, they can use abacus, you know, don’t—that’s Chinese add machine.

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If you–you–you don't know how to do that, you just can't go out, can’t get a good job in China. Okay. All right.

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Was there any of a culture shock when you got to San Antonio? Cultural shock? What was your question? Yes the cultural shock question; was there any culture shock when you got there? Living conditions. You talk

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about living conditions. What that mean? Living conditions you told me the living conditions. Oh oh you know what's that⁠—

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San Antonio. From China to San Antonio. Where they live in the in San Antonio, it’s just like poor people. And but we eat good because the food is really

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cheap. And then the clothes, really cheap. And then uh there's not—no complaint on the living condition because you eat that three meals a day and never—and I'm

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strong. Never get sick all my life, see. And I work hard, 12 hours a day, no complaints. I'm glad I got a job, you made two dollars a day and 12 hours, six and a half days but

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I still find time. That half day on Sunday uh we go fishing. We go to Breckenridge Park. I teach all the ABC to children, they don't know how the fishing, don't even know how to make the shrimp shop.

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And I take them to the park, cook, teach them how to ride a horseback, teach them to swim. And I take them to go fishing and I told them I can catch them fish underwater with my hand, and they don't believe it.

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So all the young people from 15 to 18-19 years old boy, so we go to a highway 35 south, with 50 buy on farm (?), and we ride in a [unintelligible] truck, sit down an upper box.

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Try to fish in a big lake but the fish don't bite. So there was a, so I looked around there, that the pond–the big pond, I got one–one gate to open up for irrigation purpose.

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So I opened the gate and let the water go out to the ditch. After certain amount of water, I closed the gate. I go down there and mix up the water. With mud, it’s too–it’s too muddy.

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Down below don’t have no oxygen. The fish have to come up to the top so shovel the fish to the ground, they pick it up, two basket full, sixty pound fish. They believe me I catch them fish with the hand.

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But that's not the way I catch them in China. I dive into the water catching fish in my hand. After I-after I scared the fish, they have to hide so I catch the fish while they hide.

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All right, uh what was your first job and why did you decide to enter that field? I was going to school try to be a mainly architecture or something. But one of the butcher,

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his name is Oscar Oceana, I think he come from—his family (?) come from European. He's a curly hair, white skin, really handsome man. He said, “You don’t need to go to

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school, Bob. Because I don't care what the school you got, you can’t find no job.” And he named me a couple of people who graduated from UT, Mr. George Wong, and he delivered potato and tomato and banana to this Chinese store.

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You know, handle a hundred pound potato. Only, at that time the potato two cents a pound. Hundred pound for two dollars. You have to carry to the store.

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Another Chinese man is named Mr. Lee, he's electrical engineer, and he can't find no job. And he do like that for me. I say what that means? Choumoga?

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(?) He said, work in the restaurant (?), you know work at the wok. Work at the wok. But those people, they all pass away now. All my most friends in San Antonio and even World War II, my–my unit all the soldiers and my friends

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four corners of the United States, my friend in school in China, we go to school together, they all not here today. And I'm the only one left. I got friends for 60 years and four corner of United States.

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From San Francisco in Boston, New York, Chicago, they’re not here no more. Okay, talk about Oscar. Yeah, Oscar. Oh the guy teach me to be a butcher, his

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name Oscar Oceana, one of the best butchers work for Chinese, and I don't know nothing about the meat, but he teach me from the head to the tail, the name the meat, how to cut it, how did display look good.

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It take me nine months to learn how, and I become one of the best butchers in the whole San Antonio. Only 17 years old, and I got my first job under 15 dollars a week,

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room and board. That's the highest pay for the young man in San Antonio. And I bought some fancy clothes, buy a [unintelligible] gold watch, you know, gold watch at that time it's a high only

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65 dollars. You buy the suede coat, 100 percent just made from Italy. Only 50 dollars. But that two things cost me over 100 dollars. But I got a picture took in 1941.

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I'm the only one look like a rich man and that… [laughs] Alright. You were enlisted into the Army in February of 1943 during World War II through a draft. What were some of the challenges you faced while in the army?

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Well I work for Hong Kong [unintelligible] about two years, and then I got draft in the army and San Antonio Fort Sam Houston. And they sent me to Camp Berkley in Ablinine, Texas.

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I get my training over there, and most of those young soldiers all come from the country. I come from a small town.

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Most of people are uneducated. See when we had that base training, so called a base training, is like a Boy’s Scout. Left turn, right turn, you know and most people make a wrong turn.

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Left turn, they go to the right, and forward march, they don’t know what to do. And my captain asked me how can you do that so good? I said, I learned that in China when I was a Boy’s Scout. See and now when base training finished,

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we have to go to obstacle court. They got a ton of water, got a ditch, about eight feet, and both the people, they have to climb to go across the pond.

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A lot of people couldn’t make it; they fell in the water. I go there, just like a monkey, it don’t mean anything to me. And the eight foot [unintelligible], they have a huge loop to go, I jump over there bare handed. See, and I go to

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50 mile walk, we go to small hill country. I’m the first one go up the top of the hill, the first one come down and then after we come back to the camp, my squadron told me, “The Captain will see

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you.” I said, “What for?” He said, he said he don't know. So I wander in to Captain’s office, give him a good salute, “Private Bobby(?) reporting”.

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He asked me, “You're the smartest guy in my office. How do you go up to the top the hill so fast and come down so fast?” I said, “In China, I go up there barefooted. See that–that's it–that's nothing, nothing to me”.

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“But how do you come down so fast without falling down?” I said, “I just broke the tree, and I got it, I got a tree that helped me, to stop me, to slow me down.” He said he understand that, and I'm⁠—he said⁠—my

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captain highly respect me even I’m just a private, especially Chinese. And–and one time, my base general took to my office my-my commander, he wanted Chinese

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food for his birthday party, ask–ask my commander if he can find a couple Chinese cook and one bartender. My captain asked me how about two cooks, oh I said, “That's nothing. All the Chinese here, 50% they cook.”

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So I asked him when the–when the party. He said thirty day later. So I sent them to New York get some Chinese ingredients, like chow mein, soy sauce, and all that.

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And then cook for the general. And after–after he eat, he asked me, “How do you get such a good piece of meat?” I said, “That's my profession; I can close my eyes go to my house, I can

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get the best piece of meat for you.” But after–after finished the party, and he gave us a ten dollar tip, and three–three days–three day past, don't have to work so we⁠—see ten dollars at a time it's a lot of money

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see. We only make fifty dollars a month you know. So we go to San Antonio, three of us spend three days in San Antonio. And I go to see some of my friends over there.

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Because I know most of people in San Antonio, young or old, because we had a night monthly meeting with the Chinese group in San Antonio. We would donation 10 dollar, 10 percent

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for the Chinese War Department to buy equipment against Japanese. So 15 dollars, I only donate a dollar and a [unintelligible]. And then most people we buy ammunition, medicine, send to China.

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And–and until–until I got draft. Everybody donate money in San⁠—and we even parade, parade in the street, dragon dancing, those young girls, young ladies, they ride on

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top of automobile, and people throw money down, and we got the–we got the American flag as long as 100 feet. They throw money from up there, down there, and we use that money to help China against Japanese.

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[JM: Talk about your promotion.] Well, after the general’s party, three days passed, I went back to the base.

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I got a job working in the office where we had meal call and supply, supply like the clothes, shoes. So I just sat down behind the counter, when somebody, a soldier come

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ask for a new shoes, new clothes, I issue for them. And I don’t have to do no KP, that is Kitchen Police, and I don’t have to work guard duty no more. And some people ask me, “How come you got such a good job?” I said, “I know someone up

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there.” [laughs] Um what is your proudest moment or moments of being in the military? Well after that, we were supposed to go to Hilton, and I told my commander, I don’t want to go to Hilton because I don’t have no

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enemy there. My enemy is in China. So I want to go to China. But he said too late. But I said, it's not too late.

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And you–you just help me then, so I can transfer to England (?). I want to go to Flying Tiger. So he uh somehow he contacted the War Department, at somebody

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send me a letter, a question letter, ask me why I want to go to China. Do you read in Chinese? All that question. I answer, I 100% read Chinese and I speak Chinese,

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and I want to go to China against my enemy. So that’s finally, I got transferred to Flying Tigers unit. And I somehow I go to Springfield, Illinois where

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the–the Chinese station there, Springfield, Illinois. But next day, they gave me guard duty. It was January 7, 1944. It was 7 below, from 6

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am… no from 3 am to 6 am, and I do my duty. It’s so cold, after I finished my guard duty, I go inside we go to the restroom(?) where you wash your hands.

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I try to wash my ear, the squadron grabbed my hand, “Don’t do that, son! You’re going to melt your ear!” I said, “Why?” He said, “Your ear frozen. If you wash it with hot water, it melt. It melt down like ice” [laughs]

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So anyway, I… that soldier, he showed me how to clean my ear with water. He said, “How come you use the water to comb your hair?” I said, “I ain’t got no money to buy the lotion.” He said, “You’ll

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lose all your hair later.” But I didn’t lose all my hair, I still got hair. [laughs] Um what would you say is the biggest thing you learned from being in the military? Oh I… when I was in…

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when we had a… when we moved to Venice, in Florida, 800 miles away,and we take the⁠—we can even swim over there. But the Chicago, Illinois 7 below.

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And we go that, we fly to Venice, Florida, and the next day I go fishing in the Gulf. From there, they teach us go to the

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all the training we called the wood one(?). And I get, I shoot all kinds of [unintelligible], from Carbon O grade M1 [unintelligible]. Sharpshooter.

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I’m a sharpshooter. After which I even take the 50 caliber machine gun apart, put it back together. And then my instructor he said, “Don’t shoot more than 4

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seconds at a time. Because that’s 750 rounds a minute. Because you shoot more than 4 minutes, the barrel get too hot.” You have to change it. So after you shoot four shotguns, you rest

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for a second, continue to shoot. But it’s a powerful weapon, even shoot through the tree, eight inches long. Eight inch bit, it go right through. And I shoot the bazooka, my

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first shot, I hit the double 10 (?), so that’s why the, my commander highly respect me, even as a Private. And I know that, we live in the mountain for 30

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days, I said, “We go to mountain Paris (?) and South Carolina.” So I thought I smart, put the two men together. I dig the ditch around the tent in case it rain,

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the water won’t go into the tent. But that night, it rained so hard, it go into the tent, everything got wet. That little ditch won’t hold the water.

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And then the last time we went there, everybody had the fox hole. So everybody go dig the fox hole, I find the fox hole… When you dig a fox hole, you move out, you have to put it back on.

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But I found a fox hole in a heavy–heavy wood area. You can see by walk there. But I found the fox hole on field, so I just clear the way and I got the fox hole.

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My–my commander, the short one, I said, “Private Mah, what’s your fox hole? I didn’t see you dig one.” I got one. He don’t believe it. So I show him my fox hole, he walks too close,

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I said, “Don’t walk no more, it’s right there.” But he didn’t listen, everybody have to dig one. The law say everybody got to have a fox hole, he said I have to dig one. He say keep to trying to make me dig the fox hole.

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I say, “You must want to fight.” He said, “No, I don’t want to fight.” I said, “You want to fight? You take your clothes off.” See, I learned the Kung Fu in China when I was young.

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So I trained you for defense, not to pick the fight. I said, you think you can win, you can fight. If you don’t think you can win, you run. So when you want to pick the fight, you got to sub(?) first.

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The first thing you do, get his eyes so he can’t see you. So the first thing I do, I hit his eye, he got a black eye, can’t see no more. So–so I win that fight, and he report to the Captain Hooley(?), saying I fight the commanding office.

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I [unintelligible] to go Court Marshall. But I say, he say I fight with the commanding officer, I had to go to jail for maybe 6 months. I said, “No. I didn’t fight the commanding officer.

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I don’t know who he is. What do you mean? He ain’t got no clothes on!” So I win the case, so I didn’t have to go to the courthouse and don’t… I just go back to the warehouse as

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an [unintelligible] soldier. Everything in army, I do my job 100%. No shortcut. You know anything–anything they asked me to do, I do 100% just like when I went to China,

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one of these thieves broke into the camp. I worked guard duty at the camp. At 3 am. I told the Chinese “Mago?

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Zhanqi! (?)” That means “Who you are? Stop!” He didn’t stop. I don’t want to kill him, but I shoot him three times on the ground close to his feet. And he laid down, said please don’t shoot me.

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I said, “I don’t want to kill you. I say stop, you don’t stop.” So I called the MP, MP take him to the Chinese authority. A month later,

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someone told me the Chinese put him in a firing squad, they shoot him. I said, “Well, if I had known that, I would have turned him loose.” I feel bad about–because they shoot the man because during the war, you, when you do something like that, they put you on the

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death penalty. But they shoot him, I feel pretty bad. So a lot of times from then on, some Chinese coolie, they work hard on the base. They only make 80 cents a day.

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So we some clothes the soldiers don’t want, I give it to for the poor people. Whatever underwear, socks, old shoes, I give to the Chinese people. The one who–who wash my clothes.

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But sometimes, I don’t need wash my clothes. I give to the coolie, I get new ones because we got plenty in the warehouse. Lots of–lots of supply in the warehouse. Because I’m in charge there, I get new uniform,

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new underpants, the old one I give to the coolie. See we have 400 Chinese coolie in the airbase. See, at that airbase, station 12 airforce group and 14 [unintelligible] group and also

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a Chinese airforce. And so we got three parties in air base. And every… all the hard work is done by Chinese. You know like change a tire, put gasoline–put

00:39:44.150 - 00:40:00.650

gasoline in the truck and car, and all the gasoline from the airplane fly from India. All those hard work done by Chinese. And I didn’t–I didn’t have to do no hard work, all I had to do

00:40:01.060 - 00:40:20.960

is order the Chinese do the work. So you were discharged from the army in 1946? What were your career plans afterwards? Well I was in Chengdu way back in West Side China

00:40:22.220 - 00:40:40.160

on December 1945. We take inventory, all the equipment turned over to the Chinese. So we–we, January–January the 15th,

00:40:40.570 - 00:41:01.550

1946, I flew from Chengdu to Shanghai and I station, I stayed in a hotel. And by [unintelligible], all the soldier—if they want to volunteer one more year in the service, and they

00:41:01.680 - 00:41:17.300

give you $300 and 30 day vacation. You can go anywhere you want to go. So a lot of Chinese they all volunteer, stay in army for one more year.

00:41:17.620 - 00:41:39.950

But I didn’t. I come back to the United States. I took the… I take the… I forgot the… General… Anyway, I take the army transport.

00:41:40.930 - 00:41:58.460

The ship named General something, I think, I don’t recall the name. So I take 14 days from Shanghai to Seattle, Washington. So I land there, and I don't have to do nothing then we just go eat in the mess hall.

00:42:01.620 - 00:42:20.470

The ones that serve the food is the POW from Germany. All the white young man from Germany. They serve the food at my table, look at me kind of surprised, you know, because they are POW, they have to work for, especially a Chinese, they have to

00:42:20.470 - 00:42:33.880

bring me the food. They give me a funny look. But anyway from Seattle, I take a train back to San Antonio. Fort Sam Houston for discharge

00:42:35.940 - 00:42:49.860

and the lieutenant asked me, “Do Uncle Sam owe you anything before you walk out of here?” I said, “Uncle Sam owes me nothing. If you want the uniform back, I give back to you.” So I didn't ask Uncle Sam nothing.

00:42:50.310 - 00:43:10.480

Because I didn’t get hurt, I was 10 miles from the frontline. That was the closest I ever go to the frontline. But we had order, all courses defend the air base. That was April 1945 and

00:43:10.480 - 00:43:25.840

the Japanese wanna take our air base. We gotta have all the pieces (?) to go there. So we got order to defend the air base, so I⁠—we got 100 yards within the highway.

00:43:26.320 - 00:43:37.930

We dig the foxhole there. We set up the two and head turn talk (?). On the top, we mount the 50 calibre machine gun. And we needed to fight the Japanese.

00:43:38.380 - 00:43:56.950

I’m not scared. I said come on, but–but the P51, they don't use your bomb. They used the gasoline bomb–that bombed the Japanese around the clock. 10 miles away. So the Chinese army take the front line,

00:43:57.720 - 00:44:12.070

P3 (?) they want to bomb the Japanese around the clock with gasoline bomb. See we burned them around the clock. So we win that war. So uh, so the Japanese artillery they make before

00:44:14.140 - 00:44:29.340

and–before the 1900, I guess, all the hooy(?) was at like a like a cowboy watkin (?) you know. Wooden hooy(?). They don’t shoot more than 10 miles, not like our artillery, 105 we can shoot 20 miles.

00:44:29.340 - 00:44:43.480

You know so we win that, we win that fight. So that's how I get the brown star. So I–so I didn't have a scratch, come back to the United States. So I go… Well I go,

00:44:49.670 - 00:45:07.600

well I come back to San Antonio I work for the General Ross (?) because–because I, I did a good job. Never say. Never say no. So I worked for him, oh not too long—in

00:45:10.010 - 00:45:30.090

1946 the March then I, the Greyhound bus they got a special bill. $90 you can go all the way around the United States, but you cannot come back the same route.

00:45:31.750 - 00:45:51.280

So I bought me a ticket and I go to Ryan (?) Station like Abilene, Texas, Springfield, Illinois, Chicago, I go down to Alabama, Montgomery, Tallahassee–Tallahassee, Florida.

00:45:54.010 - 00:46:12.090

I go all the way to–all the way to… that big town in Florida, what’s that name, I forgot. [JM: Florida? St.

00:46:12.280 - 00:46:30.280

Petersburg? Miami?] Miami, Miami. Yeah I go to Miami, and I–I drink, I drink my piña colada over there with a real coconut. You know we suck it with straw from the real coconut.

00:46:31.480 - 00:46:52.400

That’s the first in my life where I drink a piña colada. I said one dollar and I–and I come back to–to New Orleans, Houston. I think maybe, at that day,

00:46:52.400 - 00:47:07.100

Houston was only half a million people. The Tozza (?) building is a golf building. They still here today, no freeway, and all the–the highway only two lane, you know.

00:47:09.940 - 00:47:27.750

So I come back and I–I, all my life I love fishing. Somehow, I don't know how, I go to Galveston, you rent a boat 50 cents a day, no motor. There's live shrimp, 1 cent each.

00:47:28.470 - 00:47:47.160

So you got two dollars, you can fish it all day. You row the boat to the Old(?) Bayou, where the Moody Park is. Today, the Moody Park right next to the office building. So–so you got two dollars you can go to fishing all day,

00:47:47.500 - 00:48:02.280

then you can eat breakfast, drink coffee, five cents for coffee. You can finish slot machine for 5 cents. See, so it's so cheap I went back to San Antonio, so I moved to Houston.

00:48:05.810 - 00:48:21.120

I work in a grocery store. A man from San Antonio, Jack Sham (?). I work for him until I go back to China. See I don't want to go, but–but I

00:48:21.150 - 00:48:39.300

don't⁠—my father want me to get married but I don't want to, I don't want to get married. See but anyway⁠—[JM: That’s the next question.]⁠—the father is the king of the family. You got to do what he told, so I went back to China and was 24 years old,

00:48:40.830 - 00:49:00.900

1947. I got married 1948, March 12. How did you meet your wife while in China? How did you meet your wife?

00:49:06.130 - 00:49:24.450

Well, I go back to China, the second day my mom’s god(?) sister come to his store. “It’s so good to see you come back.

00:49:24.450 - 00:49:41.420

It has been 10 years haven't seen you.” She said, “I know what you come back to China for.” I said, “What for?” She said, “To get married.” She said, “I got a good chance right for you”.

00:49:43.500 - 00:49:59.570

So we go to a restaurant, in a high-restaurant. We had a private room. His mama, brother, and me, my grandmother, all together at a private room to

00:50:02.140 - 00:50:23.350

talk to her, to see what she looked like. But all that time she covered her face, I cannot see her the real face. That's a Chinese girl you know, in China, you–you cannot have no boyfriend like me here and you yeah,

00:50:23.350 - 00:50:43.580

you–you, nobody got girlfriend. You got that, you got your wife after you get married. So then the school she go to. So the next day I go there to the [unintelligible] school go to,

00:50:44.330 - 00:51:02.040

go to apartment and have lunch. So I ride a bicycle, go to the apartment at third floor [unintelligible]. I found her at that school for girl only, no–no boy no man, school for girl only. So I found her, I followed her behind her but she don't know I

00:51:02.100 - 00:51:19.940

follow her. And want to know what she looks like. So after that, my grandma had four more girls, I mean look at it. I said I don't want to get married. I don't have nothing in the United States, not even the top state(?).

00:51:21.180 - 00:51:40.200

So I think, my father said, “You have to get married.” So I said, “Well, first come, so the first girl I see, I marry her, the first girl. And now one of the best women I’ve ever

00:51:40.200 - 00:51:58.630

met. She take care of the house, 100 percent, cook, take care of children. I think everything she do is for the family, for me. See when I work and I went to town, I can’t meet for 12 hours.

00:51:59.830 - 00:52:19.320

When I go home, she got new [unintelligible], whisky, my slipper leave ready for me to sat down to rest. That's how how good am I. And she cooked and I don't have to do nothing to sit

00:52:19.320 - 00:52:35.630

down to eat. I feel like a king or that at home. But she don't even know how to boil water when she come to United States. She took the [unintelligible]. My old friend, the lady, learned how to cook real

00:52:36.140 - 00:52:54.370

good, even barbecue duck(?), Char Siu, barbeque. She is one of the best cook in town. She will take care of children. That’s why I’m sure I’m becoming 98 years old, I still can move.

00:52:55.570 - 00:53:13.210

All children 60, 70 years old, never been in hospital, nobody got sick because she believed eat good food, three meals a day, good clothes on your bed, so all the children

00:53:14.670 - 00:53:30.230

today, someday 65 years old, never been in the hospital, never been sick and they will never buy no insurance because I can't afford anyway [laughs].

00:53:30.480 - 00:53:47.710

Um could you describe your first house buying experience? Your first house. In 1948. Remember your [unintelligible].

00:53:47.990 - 00:54:05.820

Describe your first house. In 1949, I tried to buy a house under GI loan, so I went to look at the house over there

00:54:10.090 - 00:54:16.370

until the extreme what they call that? The Heights. The Heights. [BM: Height?] Heights.

00:54:16.600 - 00:54:32.220

The Heights. So this someone told me, no to you no, color. So he's not going to show me a house. At that time, what he said is not against the law,

00:54:33.410 - 00:54:52.590

so my friend Henry Lee, he tried to buy a house over there, but he looked at a, Henry Lee looked like an American, but when Henry Lee went to buy a house, “No, no Chinese.” So he didn’t buy a house either.

00:54:54.350 - 00:55:11.330

So I belong to an American Region(?), so I go to meetings all the time. So one of my fishing men and hunting buddy(?), he happened to be a contractor, I told him the fact I buy the

00:55:11.680 - 00:55:29.170

house. And he said,”Well, why don't you find you a lot, I build your house”. “But I don't have no money”. “No worries. I found a lot just across the street from your street from 38th Street, on 44th Street I found a lot

00:55:29.540 - 00:55:47.650

for sale. It cost 800 dollars.” And I don't have no 800 dollars then, but I somehow he make an arrangement, get the loan from a GI loan, buy a lot, build a house at 7,500 dollars.

00:55:49.990 - 00:56:08.280

My payment was $51 a month, and telephone you have to have two parties, not one line, you have the two parties. Telephone for a dollar, sixty-five cents for a month, water bill, gas bill, electricity, no more than three dollars,

00:56:10.180 - 00:56:32.410

so the whole month, you can take care of the house less than $75. And you pay all the bills and the mortgage too. So I think about it, so every day I

00:56:32.460 - 00:56:50.520

think about it–I want to open my own business. I don't have no money, but everything I do, because all the whole sale how they–they know me, so like in a company(?), city poultry(?),

00:56:54.750 - 00:57:11.640

I knew again all those are talking how they know me. I talk to them hardly(?) produce, I said, “I want to go in business but I don't have no money. You people send me the merchandise of the unconsignment(?), I pay you up by

00:57:11.640 - 00:57:28.480

selling it. So everyone buy that promise, so that when you’re gonna sold it, the most expensive is the big market. [unintelligible] So I talked to him, Mr., his

00:57:36.030 - 00:57:53.160

name A. Tiffer(?), Mr. Tiffer(?). Talked to him about open a store and had no money. He told me

00:57:54.240 - 00:58:12.660

the Chinese, “honest, they never cheat me one cent, not even owe me a dime.” He told me what I need put him down, he's gonna took it up, run it for me, pay me when I can. So I got everything set.

00:58:14.020 - 00:58:33.290

So I asked my friend to loan me some money, like Harry S. Lee, Feng Wu(?). He’s the friend I know, because their father is here. Got a little money, everyone loaned me $500.

00:58:34.870 - 00:58:50.360

I told them I think nobody can be successful on business. I may lose it, so I can’t promise you you’ll get it back. All the people, [unintelligible] he said he don’t care whether I pay him back.

00:58:51.090 - 00:59:08.480

I said, “Nobody guarantees you your money.” So I opened my store. I found an empty building on Houston Avenue, I think it’s 85th, I forgot the address now.

00:59:08.480 - 00:59:19.260

But it’s not here no more. It erased it all. Mr. Orlando(?) on the place, it was empty. I asked “can you lend me the place?”

00:59:19.500 - 00:59:36.290

“Yeah, 90 dollars a month.” Those old days, all of the grocery stores had a living corner and a bed. So I got a house, so I don’t have to live in the bed.

00:59:36.290 - 00:59:50.430

So I was going to take the living quarters off to get a bigger store. He said, “Whatever you do is okay with me.” Mr. Orlando(?), he let me do it. I take it down.

00:59:53.050 - 01:00:10.180

I clean it up. I build my own gondola because I am good at woodwork. Everything–[unintelligible]–everything I made it myself. So then, and August—I

01:00:11.820 - 01:00:29.050

forgot the exact date—I opened the store I built by myself. I don't have–hired nobody, so I have to cut the meat, the cashier, the stock man, I do it all myself.

01:00:30.640 - 01:00:47.690

For the first 3 months anyway. The first day, a Hispanic lady come to the store, spend 65 cents. But by that time, everything cheap you can buy a pound of

01:00:47.690 - 01:01:06.410

beans(?) for 10 cents a pound of hamburger(?) for a quarter. She spent 65 cents but had enough food to feed her family for days. The first day, I take in only less than 70 dollars.

01:01:08.930 - 01:01:30.300

So I have to cut meat, after I close at 8 o’clock, 8 pm, I cut the meat for tomorrow. Then I go home, eat, then I sleep, and come to work again. I [unintelligible] only one driver’s seat the one

01:01:31.400 - 01:01:49.310

ride with me have to sit down on an awful(?) box. It was 200 dollars, I bought that used [unintelligible], 3 months later, my percentage kept picking up. So I

01:01:49.310 - 01:02:10.790

hired a delivery boy and I hired a butcher, and I be a cashier, so we got 3 employees. Oh, a year later, the way I run the business. Almost all of the neighborhood(?) come to my store, because

01:02:11.010 - 01:02:23.650

I–everything too fresh. All the vegetable, they are picked the day before, go to [unintelligible] produce, and bring it to me. Yes, one day old.

01:02:23.650 - 01:02:43.280

Everything [unintelligible], only 10 cents each, a pound and a half. Mustard greens, ton of greens. All the Kentucky beans. They don’t have no more today, those days only 15 cents a pound.

01:02:44.230 - 01:03:00.090

Bananas come in 40 pound stock. You hang it up, it’s retail for 10 cents a pound. You want to buy one banana, two banana, I have to cut it for you. The T-bone steak.

01:03:03.640 - 01:03:18.290

At that time, the highest price is something–79 cents a pound, the best T-bone steak. But the rest of the meat, cheap. Like a small spare meat was only 39 cents a pound.

01:03:20.370 - 01:03:30.340

Hamburgers sometimes I sell them 2 pounds for a quarter. When did you move to West Montgomery? [BM: Yeah.] When did you move there? West Montgomery.

01:03:30.860 - 01:03:50.670

Oh yeah well. Those old days, they killed all of the animals on the cattle home street(?). It’s by University of Texas, no. Uni–Houston you know, all of the university, they

01:03:52.380 - 01:04:07.960

all killed the chicken, cattle, horse over there. And they transport to Culmer(?) street, on a big truck. The tongues, the hearts, liver, and [unintelligible].

01:04:09.180 - 01:04:27.350

They put a 50 pound, 50 gallon gasoline tank, no it was a 50 gallon–the truck don’t even have the–it’s a hard truck. Those old days, the health department

01:04:28.010 - 01:04:43.840

not too tough. The truck don’t even have a refrigerator, so the cooler there, it’s too much trouble to separate the tongue, the brain, hearts, and the [unintelligible]. So they called me, “what to do Bob?”.

01:04:44.450 - 01:04:57.050

I didn’t know what they talked about, so I tried my best, I go to the [unintelligible] I got to the [unintelligible] company. 300 cattle over there. I said, I want all of the tails.

01:04:58.150 - 01:05:14.680

15 cents a pound, 300 there, I buy it all. And all of the 400 tongues, tongues and hearts, and [unintelligible], I buy it all for 10 cents a pound. I take it back to the store, separate it, pack it up,

01:05:17.070 - 01:05:35.340

I sell them 29 cents a pound. And every customer come to my store, they buy the vegetable, they have to buy meat. So the two dollars are [unintelligible] for mustard greens. Real [unintelligible], tongue and heart each, 10

01:05:35.340 - 01:05:53.870

cents. But they wanna buy pork bone and cook it, so every dollar they spend on my meat, I make 50 cents. So all the money I borrowed from my uncle in San Francisco, my father-in-law in New York City.

01:05:54.690 - 01:06:09.700

In 3 years, I paid everybody back. I paid everything off. And my equipment, the people I owed, in 1950–1953,

01:06:11.680 - 01:06:26.830

I bought a new shirt, new car, I bought a new motorboat too. A handmade motorboat, like a piece of furniture. Only 1500 dollars.

01:06:28.210 - 01:06:52.080

You can buy a pickup truck for 1200 dollars. I take my phone to the fishing camp, send them. Everybody come to look at it, because it’s so pretty. All people don’t have no–all they do is rent the boat.

01:06:53.210 - 01:07:08.760

Very few people own a boat. If they own a boat, they only got 18 horse(power). The biggest. But I got 25 horse motor. But that’s the only year 1953, the first boat come

01:07:08.760 - 01:07:27.740

out with the new [unintelligible], forward and reverse. Before 1953, all the motor only forward. When we go fishing, my first motor was only 6 horse. I bought it from the auto shop, right?

01:07:28.520 - 01:07:41.120

99 dollars for a motor. I rent a boat, 50 cents a day. I put it on there, go fishing. Sometimes I have to pull the boat too.

01:07:41.820 - 01:08:03.380

Some people, when they go fishing with me– Can you describe how you decided to open a restaurant after selling the grocery store? And how was running a restaurant different from the grocery store?

01:08:05.550 - 01:08:23.760

The Houston avenue store, I paid for everything, so I figured I could open a number two. So at that time, there was a–3 Chinese open a store at [unintelligible]. So,

01:08:26.190 - 01:08:43.320

Mr. Wong, he operated a store at the [unintelligible] called CC Grocery. He built the store, [unintelligible] 3000 feet, 200 dollars a month.

01:08:47.230 - 01:09:01.230

So at that time, my credit so good. I didn’t have to ask anybody to help me. Everybody come to see me do the business. All of my equipment the best, one of the best at the time.

01:09:06.100 - 01:09:24.680

Hudson–Hudson Company, do my refrigerator. Walk in cooler, walk in freezer, self service tea(?). Even a [unintelligible]. You know, at summer time, you don’t

01:09:25.610 - 01:09:47.170

see no moisture, got water all over the [unintelligible] you can’t see. Got hit [unintelligible] there. Summer, you can see [unintelligible] my showcase. So I do really good present

01:09:50.800 - 01:10:07.540

and–and [unintelligible] like only, I got the same customers(?) for 17 years. They [unintelligible] charged me that much. So I sold the Houston Avenue store.

01:10:07.540 - 01:10:21.310

Can’t take care of two no more. I operated the store that acted as a home(?) for 17 years. He said see, China got four quarter percent the properties of the world.

01:10:22.160 - 01:10:37.290

Only allow 105 Chinese come to the United States, that’s not fair. He changed the law. The Chinese can apply come to the United States. All the other countries of the world, no more than a quarter million.

01:10:38.580 - 01:10:53.350

So a lot of Chinese, they can apply to come to the United States. You married in China, you can bring your wife here. [unintelligible] the mayor in Houston today [unintelligible]–the Houston mayor today.

01:10:54.780 - 01:11:07.960

I knew him when he was a little kid. His father one of my best customers. I even go to his father funeral, only the Chinese at the funeral. All black people. They looked at my surprised, you know.

01:11:09.560 - 01:11:25.040

But I didn’t expect him to be a mayor for Houston. But most of the young men at the time 15 to 19, all dead before 21. They was the bad boy, you know. And they uh–one time.

01:11:27.000 - 01:11:43.330

They set fire to my bed–to my store. At that time, the [unintelligent] only belong to Houston, but there were only local firefighters. But they couldn’t put the fire out.

01:11:44.220 - 01:12:01.750

I go in there, at the grocery store, I shoot the fire with my extinguisher(?) thing. I spray it all because that’s why I keep the people back. The fire, like a tongue, all the way to the top of the building.

01:12:02.310 - 01:12:21.840

So I run out, you know, I can’t wait no more longer. So they only, the store was only built by cement, concrete. But the foot, the fire cannot get into the store, only smoke. So I got a lot of money in there in a safe.

01:12:22.500 - 01:12:38.330

It’s maybe more than 50 feet from the front to the–my safe. So I say, I don’t left it, lose all that money. I learned that from the army. The smoke–maybe only 6 inches above the ground.

01:12:39.940 - 01:12:57.250

So you– I went in, then get down, cover my face. I do like the army, I crawl in to get my money out. There was 3500 dollars in there. At that time it was a lot of money, you can–you can buy a car–you can buy a pickup

01:12:57.250 - 01:13:08.030

truck 1200 dollars you know. So I get my money back. So somehow somebody called Houston Fire Department. Only a [unintelligent].

01:13:08.530 - 01:13:22.620

The fire–but we don’t have no fire thing, we get water from the well. So they got a fire truck with water. Five men they put the fire out, even by

01:13:27.030 - 01:13:43.070

a [unintelligent] galvanized, you know 2 feet by 8 feet galvanized tank. They shoot that thing, so powerful, even the galvanized wall come down. They put that fire out in 5 minutes.

01:13:44.890 - 01:14:00.540

So I saved the–I saved the store. But at that time, I not belong to Houston. The [unintelligent] in my store, I not supposed to sell those merchandise. The insurance pay me 1200,

01:14:02.850 - 01:14:20.330

12000 dollars to fix all of my motors, my new merchandise. What happened, the county health department inspector. He’s my fisherman, I take him to fish all the time.

01:14:20.780 - 01:14:35.030

We are good friends. So he come there to inspect the store. He look at the merchandise, somethings there’s smoke on it, not too bad. So he tell me to clean it up.

01:14:35.690 - 01:14:53.410

You sold the me–you sold the merchandise, so I don’t have to throw it away. So I sold that merchandise at half the price. I sold them all and I put the new one in there. So that’s how I–from there I make money.

01:14:55.030 - 01:15:09.160

So I buy 5 large [unintelligent]. Okay. How was running a restaurant different from the grocery store? I bought [unintelligent].

01:15:09.950 - 01:15:27.950

I got one and a corner lot, two acres. I sold–but the–but the inspector, keep on egging me to cut the yard. It’s two acres. I say, can I cut just the front

01:15:28.560 - 01:15:42.860

around 25 feet? That’s how they–all the lot in Houston do the same way. He said no, you have to cut the whole thing. I didn’t cut it. He sent the

01:15:43.630 - 01:15:56.800

county check that cut my yard. Send me the bill $200. I don’t pay the bill, he going to send me to the courthouse. So I pay the $200.

01:15:58.250 - 01:16:11.750

I sold the land next one April. 10 cents a foot. 10 cents a foot for two acres. I got so mad, but I don’t need it any more anyway. I sold it two acre land, 10 cents a foot.

01:16:14.240 - 01:16:25.780

They come to my store. What they do open beer can, get the package, put in [unintelligible] drink the beer, eat the [unintelligible] in the store. And then they throw 50 cents down on the counter.

01:16:26.650 - 01:16:40.760

They want a pack of cigarettes. I said 50 cents don’t cover that, you not smoke [unintelligible] in store. She so hot. So what you gonna do, kill him? He walk on.

01:16:41.410 - 01:17:00.700

Only 50 cents, enough for a dollar of merchandise, see. But anyway, later on the–they come the—I think 1965. Got two black man come in, same–no more than 65–no more

01:17:00.700 - 01:17:17.340

than 5–25 years old, he dressed up nice, clean like a gentleman. And he bought 4 dollars worth of meat and grocery. He said “it’s so nice store, who’s the boss?” I said “I am.”

01:17:18.280 - 01:17:33.110

He went in his bag, he got a 38 [unintelligible] pistol and put it–. He said this is an armed robbery, do what you’re told and nobody gets hurt. So–at that time, I said don’t hurt nobody. You take anything you want.

01:17:34.380 - 01:17:52.620

So he cleaned out the register, take my money, nobody get hurt. So it’s all okay. But they even broke–they chopped a hole in the back of my store, they go in there.

01:17:53.570 - 01:18:09.360

Somehow–I don’t know how they cut the hole next to the walk in cooler, somebody must survey my store even when it’s not open. They can come in back on my walk in cooler. I got a sink there, so you wash your hands there.

01:18:10.340 - 01:18:29.020

It’s about 3 feet hallway. They dig the hole in it the back of the store, they come in the store. They sat down there, go to the meatmarket get some salami, some sausage, open the some canned beer.

01:18:29.070 - 01:18:43.620

They sat down there and eat. At that time, I didn’t have no [unintelligible] alarm. So they in there, I don’t know how long they spend in there. They opened my canned

01:18:46.220 - 01:19:06.450

[unintelligible] pay [unintelligible] opened the–the–the what’s the–[JM: You need to move on now] [unintelligible] [JM: What peanut butter?]

01:19:08.610 - 01:19:31.380

[unintelligible] they opened the–they went to the meat market, opened the salami, some sausage, pepper and some salad dressing. They eat like it was their home, but they didn’t pay up the store, only big

01:19:31.410 - 01:19:48.020

hole. So [unintelligible] only 200 dollars. You ask then the landlord to fix up the store, but I didn’t do it. Everything for 17 years I didn’t ask the landlord nothing. Everything that broke down, I fix it myself.

01:19:48.910 - 01:20:05.620

I didn’t ask him. It was only $200 a month you know. [JM: Okay let’s go on.] Well and they—the last robbery, it was 1970. 5 people come in here, they dressed up like a Llyod Roger(?).

01:20:09.320 - 01:20:28.340

One man, at the front door, one man–one man, pulled a shotgun on me, and one lady put a 37 sub machine gun(?) at my wife. It was a 5 man robbing. And I got a [unintelligible] boot, I got a army

01:20:29.260 - 01:20:42.410

45 there pistol. He rolling, but if it was only one man, I could kill him. See I know look at that shotgun, it’s an old shotgun, only one shot. I could shoot him. But 5 people, I couldn’t do nothing.

01:20:46.060 - 01:21:01.750

Somehow, everybody that come to the store, they make them lay down. Everybody laid down. And they know–they know my safe, but–but after my first robbery, I don’t lock my machine anymore.

01:21:02.830 - 01:21:16.890

Because he might kill me if I open too slow. I leave it open. I–he know–he know my safe. He guide me to the safe, I got a knife over there. If it was only one man, I could kill him and then walk out.

01:21:17.660 - 01:21:28.640

After he cleaned my safe, he walk in front of me. I got a knife in there, I could have killed him. I didn’t do it. They take my [unintelligible], cigarettes, take

01:21:30.530 - 01:21:49.800

everything they want, and they take my wife as hostage. They stole–the stole the car they parked behind the store, they took my wife the hostage. Until they get in the car, they let my wife loose.

01:21:52.960 - 01:22:08.470

So every time, the new–the new people, I never see the people from the store, my wife got scared. There ain’t no use to operate the store like that, so I sold my store. 25 cents a dollar.

01:22:09.370 - 01:22:28.900

See a 1955, I spend 60,000 dollars to set up the store, the most the amount the richest the rich the–it’s the–3000 each. You have to make up the service, oil it, check it every month,

01:22:30.090 - 01:22:43.360

two–two [unintelligible]. But anyways, I build that store from the ground up myself. And my grandfather, 80 years old. He’s an old man, but he strong like me.

01:22:44.260 - 01:22:57.770

He push the 50 pound plywood across to the store to cut it. Help me nail it. I built all–the whole store by myself and him. Nail, paint.

01:22:59.660 - 01:23:12.120

I bought all the merchandise. 10,000 dollar the merchandise. I put it–me and him put it up all together. I had to, what you put the–what you put the washing–washing

01:23:13.540 - 01:23:28.510

powder. [unintelligible] all the wood I cut them all together at one time. I number it 1, 2, 3, 4. You know. The wood put together with numbers. After I cut all the wood, then I put it together.

01:23:30.070 - 01:23:48.290

Me and him, put it together. Back then I work 18 hours a day, but we’re not tired, I didn’t even get tired. I got a lot of energy when I young. After I finish my store, my grandma say, “Let me cut my yard for

01:23:48.290 - 01:23:58.890

you.” I said, “What you think about other people? They gonna cut my yard, 80 years old? Yeah, no, no don’t do that.” They live on the [unintelligible] street, on the [unintelligible] apartment.

01:23:59.600 - 01:24:11.230

So you sold the store. He died 99 years old Okay talk about some store. He–he don't depend on nobody.

01:24:13.090 - 01:24:31.660

He raised his own vegetable, raised the chicken, got some egg from the [unintelligible], and he brew his own beer two at a time. 5 o’clock am, he shoot the silo regardless, nobody can live like he do. And he die.

01:24:32.680 - 01:24:47.050

He in [unintelligible] hospital, 30 days. But he asked the doctor, [unintelligible], “how much I owe you?” He said, “Nothing, not one cent.” He said “How come?” We’re not supposed to tell

01:24:49.400 - 01:25:07.770

him. But when he dead, he leave nothing. He give my wife a Bible and 50 dollars gifts. And even grandson, little stuff from the big telephone company. The rest of the men don’t get nothing because you can make your own.

01:25:07.770 - 01:25:22.500

And he didn’t give no money. [unintelligible]. Okay, now go on, you gotta go on, now.

01:25:22.500 - 01:25:35.110

Um, could you share some stories about the people you encountered in your restaurant? In the restaurant? Okay, talk about the rich people here. This– Well, after I sold the store.

01:25:36.950 - 01:25:53.590

I got little money in the bank. And I got two rent house and acres home. I built it 1965, so all together, 1972, I figured out I got about 11,000 dollars

01:25:54.500 - 01:26:14.210

a month. That’s it–I can retire. I promised myself, when all my children 21 years old, I retire. But my youngest son [unintelligible] he 21 years old, so I retire. So

01:26:16.400 - 01:26:36.170

I–so then the second house I built in a [unintelligible] Chinese village over on the north side. 1600 ft, 8000 ft, it built so solid. I live there 17 years, I didn’t even spend one penny

01:26:36.410 - 01:26:52.460

to repair the house. That’s how good the house built in the old days. So then some black people started move in. So the real estate agent sent me a letter, with

01:26:54.350 - 01:27:11.510

a big review on the [unintelligible] loud music. It said, pretty soon, you can’t even get a loan for your house. Pretty soon the black people move in, the music too loud, your property going to go down.

01:27:12.030 - 01:27:27.010

You better sell them today. But [unintelligible], I sold that house, I paid—at that time I sold the house 19,000 dollars. I paid 16,000.

01:27:27.340 - 01:27:44.010

I lived there for 17 years. But you can’t even buy the lot like that today like that. 19,000 dollars, so I sold my first house, $7900, it’s still there, it’s still there it’s well built, you know

01:27:44.010 - 01:27:58.760

solid like this here. Okay talk about the restaurant now. So 1973, when President Carter was the president of the United States, he want to follow

01:28:04.000 - 01:28:21.700

with the [unintelligible] Jackson, the first president after President Kennedy got killed, the vice president become president. Johnson.

01:28:23.440 - 01:28:42.660

He want to make United State is the [unintelligible]. All young, all rich, all going to get the good living. But that’s only [unintelligible]. Even the tree, it got the fruit on there, you gotta pick it, they not going to pick

01:28:43.480 - 01:29:02.970

it down. Lot of people they don’t work to get the money, but United States don’t have no money, so they go to machine, [unintelligible] apartment from China. and then 1973, oil embargo

01:29:03.820 - 01:29:16.010

the gasoline in the tank. 29 cents a gallon. I never paid over 5 dollars for my car full tank gas. But they went up to nearly 4 dollars.

01:29:18.130 - 01:29:37.720

The cost for 69 cents a pound gone up to nearly 350. In my [unintelligible] won’t feed my family, so I decide I have to go back into business. So I go in—at that time, they don’t have any [unintelligible]

01:29:38.890 - 01:29:55.180

freeway. 3300 [unintelligible] Richmond [unintelligible] for Houston. Beyond the 3300 block is all gravel road. They don’t have no [unintelligible] street.

01:29:55.620 - 01:30:17.140

[unintelligible] Street. They don’t have no street like that. All them from [unintelligible] 1092, it’s two lanes. And no–no–don’t have no [unintelligible] only two lanes. When we go to Hunting across the river, my friend owned a

01:30:17.640 - 01:30:35.870

farm there. The [unintelligible] river only the bridge only one car can go through. If I go there first, I go and you have to wait for me go, you come, see only one lane. See, that’s all you–[unintelligible] building the Golf building,

01:30:36.670 - 01:30:48.680

no freeway. You're supposed to be talking about the people in the restaurant. So I have to go back and busy(?). So in 1943, I

01:30:50.700 - 01:31:05.610

have to rent the place behind the church. And behind that, and no more building. And even the bank–bank of the–this was the bank of Texas.

01:31:06.610 - 01:31:21.880

Used the trailer house for a bank. Before–before the Chase bought it, see. My account in the Texas Bank since 1953, and I still use it, same

01:31:23.090 - 01:31:35.170

account. Nearly over 60 years, I’m the only account never change it. Okay you getting off the subject, you gotta talk about the people in the restaurant. So yeah.

01:31:35.770 - 01:31:52.300

So I–see when I know the president of the bank at the time [unintelligible], I rented the best two place I can pick up location on Westheimer.

01:31:53.990 - 01:32:09.610

One place 80 dol–80 cents a foot, and the one I use is 50 cents a foot, right behind the church. So I picked the wrong location. Anyways, [JM: Talk about the people] it took me six months

01:32:11.680 - 01:32:32.760

for me and my wife to hire somebody in [unintelligible]. Build the—6 months build the restaurant, the best you can buy. Everything was stainless steel, even the table. Only [unintelligible] the equipment in the kitchen was stainless steel.

01:32:33.390 - 01:32:50.440

Got 7–got 7 [unintelligible] in the kitchen, and everything was a [unintelligible], [unintelligible] equipment the best in the United States. Two one–two one and one horsepower, the vent to

01:32:50.850 - 01:33:05.830

suck the–to suck the [unintelligible] in the kitchen. The kitchen got ten, ten [unintelligible] condition. Two dining rooms, the front one, 10 tons, the second one 7 and a half tons.

01:33:06.760 - 01:33:21.810

So all together, 27 and a half [unintelligible] conditions. I don’t care outside 100 degrees, firemen my hose, my hose [unintelligible] 75 degrees. You have to talk about the people.

01:33:21.810 - 01:33:39.570

17 years, I never have to buy anything, never repair anything [unintelligible] make up [unintelligible] to [unintelligible] and I include myself and my wife. 17 years and I never spent a penny to repair, everything

01:33:39.630 - 01:33:57.990

working. [JM: Alright, the people, the people that you meet at–.] And all the customer, the same customer for 17 years. Even the mayor of the city, [unintelligible] he’s one of my–his wife, my [unintelligible] all of the

01:33:59.250 - 01:34:10.450

construction people, the lawyer, CPA(?), 17 years, same customers. I don’t have no new customers. All that change are two people.

01:34:14.830 - 01:34:30.870

They are my customers, only one Mexican customer. [unintelligible] The channel two anchor man, news man, black people only [unintelligible].

01:34:34.770 - 01:34:56.510

Two black people come and eat—they work in some way close by—every time they eat, some steal my sausage, chicken and some of—there was a sugar that (?) sugar it’s–it’s almost 50 packages that's why the—they wanted to come every time

01:34:57.640 - 01:35:18.160

they use it all they didn't use it—probably they got a bag–bag it up. See, the lunch only 3.95 include–include a co–iced tea, water of course they're free only 3.95. They steal more than that, more than 95—3.95 stuff.

01:35:18.160 - 01:35:37.890

[JM: Okay, alright.] Okay so one time my son Bill would go outside, act like I knocked their car license (?), then two black woman they bring it, “Oh don't do that,” [unintelligible] for my–for my son they never come back no more [JM: Okay, number seven, okay.] and

01:35:37.890 - 01:35:57.970

more—and one [JM: Right here.] a-and one black woman come to eat fried rice every time she eat—after finishing she gotta get [unintelligible] to pay (?) [unintelligible] but he got a–a–a box of matches, those old day only one cent box of matches.

01:35:58.660 - 01:36:14.000

[unintelligible] She don’t smoke. She probably put the lotion (?) in the bag(?) [unintelligible]. Can you tell me about your family? How did they support you or how did you support them through your businesses?

01:36:21.150 - 01:36:36.380

Those old day I bring the [unintelligible] which (?) school supply, which (?) underwear, socks. All my children go to school don't have to buy anything. They go to store, take the underwear, take the sock, school

01:36:36.380 - 01:36:55.360

supply, they–they–they take what they want, they don't know I already paid my wholesale price. See my wife I don't know somehow she learned how to drive. She–she could pick up the children from school.

01:36:56.730 - 01:37:15.510

Yes she wanted to look in the store for a long time. I don't let her work there for 11 years until the children grow up. She go school, pick up the children, go to store help me see until it's on

01:37:15.510 - 01:37:32.870

1961. 1961 that's when–when she first come to store work for me. She work in the store about 10 year, may-maybe 11 year after all that long [unintelligible]. They–they broke in my store

01:37:34.390 - 01:37:47.520

al–almost once or two year. Every time after that, [unintelligible] 1971, all the stranger (?) come to store, she scared to death. Ain’t no use [unintelligible] like that.

01:37:48.310 - 01:38:03.770

So I sold the store all the way from San Antonio [unintelligible] from Chinatown [unintelligible] Mr. Wong (?). Anyway, then all my children grow up at 21 years old and I don't know about nothing.

01:38:04.400 - 01:38:19.510

The house paid for, car paid for, so–so [unintelligible]. I could make it no more. So I had to go back and [JM: Alright.] [unintelligible].

01:38:22.720 - 01:38:34.380

You retired in 1990 after selling a restaurant. Um, what do you do now in retirement, like what are your hobbies or community involvements?

01:38:39.050 - 01:38:57.630

Woodworking, fishing, [unintelligible]. All of my customers (?) are high-class people even they take me and my wife go to–we go country club all the time. Yeah we eat inside.

01:38:58.240 - 01:39:16.520

I think I—we the only Chinese go in there. See I drive my–my car to the front, somebody park the car for me and got a black man weigh about 250 pounds dressed up like a general on the front

01:39:16.820 - 01:39:33.520

door, open the door for you. You know–you know that [unintelligible] country club, you—only rich people can go in there you know but–but my friend is, he graduated from Rice University

01:39:34.130 - 01:39:52.000

in 1941. He bought the one High Lander(?) [unintelligible] over there by [unintelligible], you know [unintelligible], and–and he paid four thousand

01:39:52.350 - 01:40:12.710

dollars for that. But later they–the city a place for house and left one million dollar. So he said “That’s—that too much.” So one contractor come to see him he–he–he said I'll

01:40:12.710 - 01:40:30.230

tell you how [unintelligible] build you a new house. I divide your lot for three lot, I build you house half a million dollars free and build two house belong to contractor. See–so he–he did that and

01:40:31.210 - 01:40:46.680

the houses are one million dollar already (?) at the front, and one lady come from Hong Kong to buy the–buy the house—the front of his house, got one cat and one lady. Mr. Kahn (?) had asked me “Do you know that lady?”

01:40:47.660 - 01:41:05.800

“I don't know those people from Hong Kong you know.” [JM: What are your hobbies?] Anyway, all my good friend, all millionaire. Doctor… and all the high class people, take me to Bahama fishing

01:41:07.010 - 01:41:24.750

free of charge. Take me to Italy(?) on an airplane—private airplane hunting (?)—don't charge me one cent. See, that show you how good the life I live here for–for men like me honest [unintelligible] yeah—o-oh yeah I got customers they

01:41:24.750 - 01:41:44.450

even on a [unintelligible] two cousins on a [unintelligible]. I—he let me—going to look at it–it–it's all—the seat all fur. All fur smell like a [unintelligible] you know. Smell [unintelligible] perfume.

01:41:48.220 - 01:42:03.790

Some customer—one customer they work for the government of Mexico, they do the [unintelligible] the United States, regardless of what that is, he gets five percent.

01:42:08.080 - 01:42:25.590

His–his name [unintelligible]. Anyway, those old day is no car got a telephone. But he got a telephone in his car, but you cannot go for more than 15 mile (?), so he called order to go

01:42:26.590 - 01:42:39.530

[unintelligible] I say “Too much, too much.” He said “never too much” and five minute he come into my–my residence. I said “How come you guys so fast?” He said “I got a telephone in the car.” [unintelligible].

01:42:42.220 - 01:42:57.100

Maybe one percent people got a phone on the car. Can’t go no more than 15 mile. My friend [unintelligible] got one, said when we go to [unintelligible] I said, “Call you live from here.” Said (?) “No, only go 15 miles [unintelligible].” [JM:

01:42:57.660 - 01:43:12.060

Okay, all right.] But anyway— What are your–what are your–your hobbies? What do you do—what did you do? Well, [unintelligible] I retire in 1990, so I got all the time I–I got the [unintelligible].

01:43:15.800 - 01:43:32.440

Help the people. Do some good work. I even built a store from ground on–on up. I don’t make no money. Yeah [unintelligible] is a—he go [unintelligible] with me.

01:43:34.140 - 01:43:51.680

He's a farmer, but he raises chicken, sell them to uh… selling this the wholesale house, at 3,000 chicken every week.

01:43:52.490 - 01:44:09.160

But one day the–the chicken got sick, they have to pick the whole pair (?) of chicken. So they don't raise—so they don't raise the chicken no more, and they become and raise the bell pepper. At that time, the bell pepper was at three dollars a bushel.

01:44:09.840 - 01:44:28.760

But went up to 10 dollar. But they–they planted about maybe five acre (?) bell pepper before they pick it, it flooded—all flooded so they lose everything. So he,

01:44:28.850 - 01:44:47.640

Jimmy (?), come look for me, help me on the bushel [unintelligible]. But later on he wanted—him and his brother wanted a store on Holiday (?) Street. I helped them build a store, the whole thing. All the gondola, check-out counter, hardware, elec—I

01:44:49.550 - 01:45:00.480

do it myself after I close my store. I work for—close at eight o'clock. I go home, eat, I go at the store with my machine work until 12 p.m—2 00 a.m.

01:45:02.180 - 01:45:17.880

Eleven hundred dollar, the whole store. I lose money over it [laughs]. I have to–I have to pay my–my employee and… Henry–Henry–Henry Lee—Henry [unintelligible].

01:45:18.460 - 01:45:30.830

I have to pay him to work from eight to twelve. I lose money. But anyway Timmy Lim he died young because he got cancer. What cancer, 70 years old.

01:45:31.960 - 01:45:48.150

His brother died last–last year, 99 years old. Yeah, the store is still there, but they still own the store. I built all the gondola for them, eleven hundred dollar. And those old days the plywood five dollar each.

01:45:49.480 - 01:46:03.830

But today fifty dollar each even. Okay number 9, question 9. Can you describe how you felt when you and other World War 2 Chinese veterans were recognized in recent years in Houston Chr–Chronicle, the

01:46:03.830 - 01:46:20.590

parade, and with the World War 2 Chinese Veterans Congressional Medal Ceremony? Every—almost every year we had a meeting. Mostly in a Chinese Church, you know like November,

01:46:23.730 - 01:46:40.770

June. We all get together sometime we had a party, we had a meeting in Chinese Church every year, and we see each other every year. Summer pretty much [unintelligible] every week. But they not here today, only one

01:46:42.320 - 01:46:57.130

left [unintelligible] still living. That’s the only one left. All my friends in China, Hong Kong, four corners United States, we always contact each other for the past

01:46:57.350 - 01:47:16.100

70 years, and we send [unintelligible], sometimes we go see other, they come to see me, but they're not here today. I'm the only one left. They all go to heaven. Even my sergeant teach me to shoot the machine gun in

01:47:17.070 - 01:47:34.150

194—2001 he come to Houston to see me, but he passed away too. He don't have no children. Everything he owned he–he willed to the—to his nephew, but he—I think he–he–he died

01:47:34.200 - 01:47:50.690

a few years ago. We got a lot of–we got a lot of pictures together, you know. How did you–how did you feel—when they honored you with the gold medal?

01:47:54.140 - 01:48:15.070

Yeah, so–somehow, and the United States army got a Chinese General. Wang (?)—General Wang (?), and somehow he organized on a TV issue the Gold Medal for the

01:48:15.070 - 01:48:26.250

Chinese World War 2 veteran. So I got one too. But yeah, then he do that little late because most everybody gone—everybody go to heaven, see.

01:48:26.760 - 01:48:41.720

And [unintelligible] we use that 16 Flying Tiger soldier, only one—two left. Me and [unintelligible], all gone. I live so long because I never get mad.

01:48:42.480 - 01:49:00.720

I don't care what you do to me, I never get mad. My–my best (?) they told me, “I teach you to be zen(?), not to pick the fight.” So I never fight. You know after I got—I grow up, only I had to

01:49:00.900 - 01:49:18.670

fight one time—oh two time. In 1946, I find a white(?) man in Golden Star restaurant in Houston and he was on Main Street. We eat lun—we eat dinner there.

01:49:19.300 - 01:49:34.260

He sit on the back of me. He's drinking beer. Every time he sip the beer, he called me a damn Jap. Keep on calling me a damn Jap, I didn't say nothing ‘cause—because my master tell me don't pick the fight. So when he's [unintelligible],

01:49:36.480 - 01:49:51.070

he walk by me, he said, “You’re a Goddamn Jap!” I said “I’m not a Jap, I’m a Chinese.” He said, “So what.” He pick me up with my necktie, that’s when he make a mistake.

01:49:52.260 - 01:50:02.010

I put that thing on his eye. Pow! He can’t see no more. I hit him–I hit him one time here. He bent down, I chop him.

01:50:04.120 - 01:50:18.220

I put him to sleep in less than two minute. So they call the police, but I’m gone [laughs]. They call the police–I’m just, I’m gone [laughs]. And that's the only fight, 1946.

01:50:19.330 - 01:50:38.630

I–I fight another white (?) man in my store, that was maybe in 1954. He's drunk, he is one of my good customers. As [unintelligible] good friend he drunk that day, he come to my store and steal–steal… he got

01:50:38.680 - 01:50:57.310

a pair of pants outside, inside got another pair pants. Tie it up with a rubber band, and he still put the foot into the inside pants [unintelligible] and I told him, I said, “You do something wrong, you–you–you steal you—.”

01:50:57.310 - 01:51:17.270

“No, I didn't steal nothing.” So I get the steel, you know, the one you sharp the knife, the steel from the meat market. I hit him [laughs]–hit him on—below the knee. [unintelligible] See, I tell you.

01:51:17.690 - 01:51:31.460

So he want to fight and he wouldn't fight me. I said, “I don't want to hurt you.” So I chopped (?) a couple of time on here, even the city bus stop. “Hey don’t kill him.” I said, “I’m not going to kill him.

01:51:31.870 - 01:51:44.610

I’m going to put him in a safe place”. He was in the middle of the street, so I pulled him to the sidewalk, let him sat down and sleep it off. But—and the next day he come, “Hey Bob, you wanted to kill me yesterday?”

01:51:44.610 - 01:51:59.060

I said, “No, I don't want to hurt, yo-you drunk.” Even the–even the bus driver said, “Don't kill him.” I said, “No, I’m not going to hurt him.” Listen, I fight two time oh yeah after–after I come back from the army.

01:51:59.060 - 01:52:08.630

[JM: Okay, now talk about the pandemic.] I didn't pick the fight, you know. Number 1. How have you been doing during this pandemic? What have been some major changes in your life?

01:52:11.100 - 01:52:24.640

Not seeing family. Well I-I never get mad, and I always do good thing for the people. I don't care who you are, Black, White, or Chinese.

01:52:26.130 - 01:52:40.740

I always work for you: plumbing, woodwork. I even extension car, logging. I all do it free, no charge. My neighbor I help them prune the tree.

01:52:41.090 - 01:52:56.250

I even tie it up with my own loop, you know, for to–to–to pick it up. I never charge the neighbor one cent, yeah. Yeah, but they all not here today. Yeah, they—I even–I

01:53:01.760 - 01:53:20.260

even help fix them the—they build house too cheap. The air condition, the duct(?) made out of wood. So then—any—it suck all the hot air from the ceiling. And I–I fixed it for her, and her light bill was a six hundred dollar.

01:53:20.500 - 01:53:36.660

That too high! See, I fixed it up for her every time the wind blow the house, the ceiling make noise like “woowoowoowoowoowoo.” She call me, she said, “The house [unintelligible] make noise.” I said, ain’t no ghost there.

01:53:37.260 - 01:53:50.020

I go over there, I explain it to her. I said, “That house not solid built. See when a high wind come, go into the your ceiling, that's what make that noise. Don’t scare.” I so fix it for her.

01:53:51.630 - 01:54:09.330

I even—her brother and sister lived there together. Her brother got sick. I even built a hand holder for him to take a shower, you know. On the–the restroom I make

01:54:10.640 - 01:54:26.170

a [unintelligible] the–the bought that—from the—wha–what’s that [JM: Home Depot]. I bought the first one from a Home Depot. Too high. So I bought it from another [JM: Low–Low-Lowes–Lowes] place, yeah. See only 21 dollar.

01:54:26.170 - 01:54:42.240

The one I bought from Home Depot 40 dollar, but they only got that screw, or to get the whole thing, but I buy that. Th–don't let me—only 21 dollar but no screw. But you can buy screw for [unintelligible].

01:54:42.440 - 01:54:59.680

[JM: Can you talk about—] So I build the upstair, downstairs, shower room, toilet, a–all together so they can get up from the toilet [unintelligible], no charge. What is it—the–their washing machine broke down, I go to work, buy a

01:54:59.680 - 01:55:16.830

washing machine. Me and my son take the old one out, put a new one in. Every time I just charge him fifty dollar for gasoline. For my son, you know, we back and forth, and everything. I–I bought that washing machine 300 dollar.

01:55:18.110 - 01:55:36.330

I charge her 350. I take the old one out and put the new one in. [unintelligible] She drive in the red Cadillac. One time they—she put the–the Ca–the Cadillac over the [unintelligible] used to

01:55:36.330 - 01:55:46.580

[unintelligible] station. But today 66 now. I know a–all those. I trade with them, she was stationed for a long time.

01:55:47.310 - 01:56:03.890

She put the–the red Cadillac over for repair, but the man promises deliver the–the Cadillac to her house. But they didn't—they almost closed, they didn't deliver the–the car, and she sat down on my–my driveway.

01:56:05.580 - 01:56:23.780

My wife go, “A wha–what you sat down here for?” “I pray for they deliver the–deliver the car for me.” They call them [unintelligible], so–so my wife talk to the next door neighbor, take out the station, get the car, see.

01:56:24.010 - 01:56:36.720

But her name is [unintelligible], but she—she's dead too. She [unintelligible]—brother died, first second sister died, and then she died last, and she live alone. Okay, now you're talkin—you're supposed to talk about the pandemic.

01:56:36.970 - 01:56:48.250

What are you doing during the pandemic? You sta—you staying—stayin’ home and wearin’ a mask. Oh wow. Oh.

01:56:49.030 - 01:57:01.160

You stay— what are you doing now? Yeah, staying home. [JM: Stay home and you wear a mask] I know, yeah I know. Okay.

01:57:01.700 - 01:57:16.380

I don't–I don't wear the mask at home. [JM: No, you don’t, but—] I stay home most of the time. [SH: Mhm.] I–I–I go to mail, check the mailbox every day, and I—sometime I stay outside get the sunshine for about 30–30 minute.

01:57:17.230 - 01:57:35.650

See, I–I–I live in the corner house. Most old people, very few young people. So down the street you don't see any people there. So—well (?) maybe early in the morning, late in evening, see some people walking the dog,

01:57:37.010 - 01:57:55.030

and most people is a man and a wife. Old people, very few children there. So they’re–they’re maybe no more than 10 or 15 car pass the s—pass every day. No, in my–my house I live there it's–it’s—call it

01:57:55.030 - 01:58:06.770

camping. Just–just–just like–like I here. Very few–very few people walking. Ride the bicycle. Only sometime there's–there Catholic school.

01:58:07.750 - 01:58:24.070

Those–those–those s–student, they–they–they–they running. They running in the neighborhood—around the neighborhood. One time I–I—very few people, I live there forty year [JM: Let’s skip—yeah—a lot(?)—] nothing break down.

01:58:24.380 - 01:58:33.820

[JM: On a Danny (?) [unintelligible] when you skip—]. No [unintelligible]. [JM: Skip to 6-7?] Yeah. Sure. Um.

01:58:34.150 - 01:58:42.210

Oh I design that–I design that house myself you know. Built for old people. Okay–okay we’re gonna talk about—. How–how do you describe yourself?

01:58:42.210 - 01:58:59.330

How do you identify yourself? Well, most Chinese is a law abiding citizen, and they work hard. Even the restaurant they–they still do—they work over 10 hours a day.

01:59:00.010 - 01:59:19.250

Don't complain. Well, the family is the backbone of the country. All the Chinese, they work hard, they gotta head the house. They own their house because that's what they looking for. The children in the home—ninety percent Chinese own the home.

01:59:20.810 - 01:59:38.460

But some of those are black people. Talk to me face to face, he said [unintelligible], “You Chinese come here 15 year, own the car, own the house. I born here I ain't got nothing.” But they know some

01:59:38.460 - 01:59:50.050

people Chinese or they son, sister. They put the money together, buy the house together. See–see. That’s how they can buy the house. They not buy the house by one [unintelligible] you know.

01:59:50.550 - 02:00:00.680

Brother, sister, and parent. They put them all up together buy one house—they live together. See they get along really good, see. Let's go to number

02:00:05.870 - 02:00:19.200

nine. What is your advice for people interested in bridging cultures in Houston? Well my–my past television (?). I retire ‘99 here today.

02:00:22.460 - 02:00:41.270

All I do go fishing, hunting—my friend Harrisburg (?), Cuero (?), San Antonio. Over there by—every year we go hunting. We go to Eagle Lake, hunt duck and geese, fishing.

02:00:44.870 - 02:01:02.880

Bowling every year—every week I bowling, every year. And I help people who need help to do some like a woodwork, plumbing. Some–some time ago we had a deep freeze. All the—lot of water pipe block.

02:01:04.050 - 02:01:20.850

Somehow have to wait one month to repair. One of my cook told me—he said his house water pipe block. He said have to take a whole month to come to repair. I go into his house look at it, see what have to be done.

02:01:21.770 - 02:01:37.250

“Heh,” I do that in five hour. [unintelligible] that the [unintelligible] built with a cup of [unintelligible] all cracked. See, I said cut it. I cut it, I bought a pipe put it together—five dollar [unintelligible].

02:01:37.550 - 02:01:56.500

I fix it for them. One of my friends is a Henry Lee's friend. Next to the garage also the–the water pipe bust. He want me to fix it. So I go look at it, I said, “Well good thing the pipe was outside not inside the–the

02:01:56.920 - 02:02:14.880

brick (?)” So I get my water(?) machine. I got—I know how to—when I was young I can fix the air condition. I can weld(?) too. So I get my welder(?) I go weld(?) that–that–that water pipe for her. See, I don't even–I don't even charge one cent—not one cent.

02:02:17.180 - 02:02:33.120

Okay, number nine. Would–would you like to leave a message for your great-great-grandchildren if they were ever to see this archive and learn about your story? Oh all my–all my children, grandchildren I will take care of

02:02:33.120 - 02:02:48.950

them. Nobody get hungry. Nobody don't have no clothes on. And everyone got a car—she even buy a 10 dollar go to UT I buy a car to go to school, see.

02:02:49.290 - 02:03:05.410

Oh my son, the first car I buy for them. And I—he's the only one I didn't buy a car for her. Because she marry young, her husband got a car, see. But all the grandchildren, everybody I buy the car, see.

02:03:08.030 - 02:03:27.460

Alright. Is there anything else you would like to add? Yeah. Well, okay, men and women gotta have their education to make a good living. So I told them go to school as hard as you can to get the education you can—you get a good–you

02:03:28.830 - 02:03:45.430

get a good job—you don't have to look for a job, look people looking for you. See they're like me, I don't looking for job, I never look for job, people looking for me. See, I do everything. I know how 100 percent no complaints.

02:03:46.300 - 02:03:59.070

Rain or shine, I do the job. This one, never tell a lie. Yeah, and I told them, my children,

02:04:01.750 - 02:04:17.980

never lie, and no promise anything that you cannot do. See, like my grandpa say, “Somebody call your name, go in from the left ear (?) and get out of here.” You don’t–you don’t—it don’t hurt.

02:04:18.750 - 02:04:31.730

Yo-it don’t hurt you. Whatever they say, it don’t hurt you. If they wanna [unintelligible], don’t try to argue with somebody. So–so the—all my life I never argued with nobody.

02:04:32.540 - 02:04:49.200

I married 65 year, I never said one bad word to my wife. Never get mad at her. And she's a good cook, take care of me good, and I never—I give her a hundred dollars a week.

02:04:50.130 - 02:05:09.110

She can spend the way she want, but don’t spend more than what I got. She never asked me what this is, but all the hard work like a–like a garbage can, take the garbage out, oh I do all that. She—but she–she can't even boil water when I get married.

02:05:10.590 - 02:05:27.680

But she know all the old people in Houston. She learned everything from cook the old chicken hen, the roast barbecue duck. Oh man she’s a good cook [JM: Yes—oh do you rotten, all day.]—one of the

02:05:27.680 - 02:05:42.090

best cook. I go fishing, I buy the shrimp—today is the 13 dollars a quart. But what they got left after fishing, I bring this fish—the–the–the shrimp is still alive in a bay.

02:05:42.940 - 02:05:54.820

I come home she cook it for me. The shrimp (?) she–she cook in a pan–pan with green onion and soy sauce. Boy, you can't stop eating.

02:05:55.220 - 02:06:11.190

See, sometime I eat more than a dozen shrimp, you know. The juice inside the shrimp is–is so good you know. Well anyway [JM: Okay [unintelligible].] All my children today help me.

02:06:11.820 - 02:06:29.500

Cook for me, cut my yard, I hire somebody do the work for me now. And I–and I got a—like a Mr. Smith [unintelligible] say, “We’re going to live

02:06:29.680 - 02:06:49.020

past 2021.” Because mostly the World War 2 GI, they died before 21, but he passed away two weeks ago, 96 years old. And he's an 18 years old pilot B-17

02:06:50.580 - 02:07:09.700

in the air force, and–and–and–and–and–and–and in the air force [unintelligible]. I don't know how many–how many mission he made, but he–he come home like—and 1963, he still home man, but he

02:07:09.700 - 02:07:29.670

graduated from Texas A&M [unintelligible] chemistry. 1963 he–he can't even buy a house where I live today [JM: Okay, I think that’s–that’s–that’s—], and–and one man he said,

02:07:30.620 - 02:07:45.790

“I got the money that you–you gotta tell—you gotta knowledge (?) [unintelligible] let's go Venezuela [unintelligible] let’s make a living.” So they go down to Venezuela. [JM: Venezuela.]

02:07:46.060 - 02:08:00.600

They spend 20 year over there. They don’t stay there all the time. They build a factory, anything with oil—chemistry—anything gots to do with oil. He guaranteed the work—10

02:08:01.870 - 02:08:18.190

cent a dollar, and we teach you people how to operate and then fix the machine. So he–so he come back to Houston, bought 5 acre land. Across the from Maryland [unintelligible]

02:08:19.650 - 02:08:36.340

don’t have no freeway now. Maryland (?) [unintelligible] town just opened, you know [JM: Maryland (?).] [unintelligible] 50 cents a foot, and I buy five gallon and a—coffee weigh

02:08:36.720 - 02:08:52.010

60 cent a foot. Nearly 20 year I only sold it two dollars a foot, and all these years I pay tax on it—pay the people cut the yard, I don’t make nothing on that.

02:08:52.970 - 02:09:07.480

But they sold the land three dollars fifty cents a foot from fifty cent 5 acre. Oh, he should make a lot of money [JM: All right. That’s—okay.] But anyways, they build a office over there,

02:09:08.020 - 02:09:26.610

order computer. They don't know how to fix it. They talk to the people like you and I talk—tell them how to fix it. If they don't know how to fix it, he go down there with a private airplane. But anyway, he–he retire,

02:09:28.220 - 02:09:46.170

and 1990—no, 1979 he retire. They spent 20 year back and forth in Venezuela—there they are. And he make some money and sold the land make them—make the million. That's it. All right that's it.

02:09:46.520 - 02:09:54.890

Okay that’s it. All right, thank you so much for your time Mr. Mah and Miss Jeannie. So, he–he told me— That’s enough—that’s it. Now you drink water.

02:09:55.290 - 02:10:02.600

That’s it. All right Mr. Mah could you tell me a little about–about what you do for the church? What did you do for the church? Tell her what you did for the church.

02:10:02.600 - 02:10:21.310

Well in 1952, we don't have no church. To reorganize the—a Chinese church, and my wife and I and a few people at that time only 15 people joined the church.

02:10:22.120 - 02:10:37.980

And we have to go to the church over there—Lamar Street one–one pm Sunday [unintelligible] the–the second [unintelligible] church, we use that [JM: First–First Baptist–First Baptist.] the church.

02:10:38.870 - 02:10:57.860

So we—later we got a lady belong to the church there. They say, “If you try, you can raise the money build your own church. I donate you the land.” So me, my wife, and all most the Chinese, [unintelligible], all those

02:10:57.860 - 02:11:10.870

people. We go to store to store—café, you know—a long time ago a lot of Chinese go store, café to ask for donation the money. They don’t care how much.

02:11:11.060 - 02:11:27.150

Five dollar, ten dollar, no matter. So we raised twelve thousand dollar. So that the lady donation the–the–the–the land on downtown. So we build

02:11:28.110 - 02:11:45.530

a church on that twelve thousand dollar. Yeah. And later on, we got a church getting bigger and bigger and grow more people. So we build another bigger church.

02:11:48.140 - 02:12:05.500

So some time ago, the Texas Eastland Park Portland (?) Company want to buy all the block east of Main Street, which is 32 block. They buy it all, so they—our church included their block.

02:12:06.500 - 02:12:23.090

So they want to buy our church for half a million dollar, but we don't want to sell them because we cannot build a church with half a million dollars over there. So they offer three quarter million dollar. So we sold that church over there on downtown.

02:12:24.880 - 02:12:48.150

So Dr. Pham [unintelligible], she works too hard for the church too. She's a professor over there at the–the university. She know the people on the land where–where the church is today.

02:12:49.140 - 02:13:09.070

5 acre. There’s a there–there–there’s no big home there. One dollar foot, but we [unintelligible] contract, build church only. Now today land over there worth $65 a foot. All the house over a million dollars around our church.

02:13:10.160 - 02:13:30.540

Around there we have about two block from I-10. North of I-10, but if we did—if we didn’t sign the contract, for the church only, we could of sell that land at that day 35 cents a foot. All the–the Chinese church member at the time all get rich.

02:13:31.440 - 02:13:50.810

But, see, but we build a church in there. 5 acre, we got a one church only. When we build a first church, the contract then is cheap. They only used a quarter inch rod for the foundation,

02:13:52.840 - 02:14:12.790

and I told them, the building committee, I say that [JM: Got to go faster than that.] the construction–the construction should be three quarter inches rod, not quarter inch. And there was a member of the committee—“This is the [unintelligible] don't

02:14:12.790 - 02:14:29.510

know nothing about construction!” That son (?) tell me I don't know nothing about construction, but he didn't know I’m a good at it. The big walkway—the balcony, too heavy, they used a quarter inch rod.

02:14:30.800 - 02:14:43.840

They bought (?) the walkway. It’s about 50 foot long. Good thing it fell down on Saturday. If not [unintelligible] on Saturday, it–it would come down on Sunday—we

02:14:43.900 - 02:14:56.420

would—a lot of Chinese guy got killed. They love hanging out there. On Sunday somebody got married there, the [unintelligible] coming down. Good thing they come down on the empty place.

02:14:57.350 - 02:15:14.120

Nobody got hurt. See, later the church—no one can use anymore. It leak—this is [unintelligible], we can't even use the church no more. Yeah well we tear him down, rebuild it.

02:15:14.680 - 02:15:27.860

Big building, big church. We are got much—500 member now. We started 15 member, that include me. [JM: Okay. Okay. Can you talk about the library?]

02:15:30.710 - 02:15:50.040

All the–all the [unintelligible], the library, the–the all the gondola. I built it myself, free of charge. You–you–you know. The–the [unintelligible]. Even the–the–the stand–the stand—the

02:15:50.730 - 02:16:11.460

mus-mus-music director—the director music. I made the platform for him—well built. And-and I give it to him he said “Mister Mah, can I stoma—can I stand up there?” I said you can put anything on it because I built solid wood 2 by

02:16:11.460 - 02:16:27.040

4. I mount it with a molding with aluminum molding. Put [unintelligible] see. I told him you can put the elephant up [laughs], you can put the elephant on there. It’s still there today, I built that 1985.

02:16:28.890 - 02:16:45.910

[JM: Okay, alright, that’s it.] The–the old church. [JM: The lab (?)–the lab (?) [unintelligible]. The–the cross. Right, the cross—wooden cross.] The old church—the cross. I built that too, yeah. Until we tore it down.

02:16:46.360 - 02:16:56.490

[JM: Yeah.] Yeah. I built a lot–I build a lot of stuff for church, no charge. Okay, all right that's it. Thank—

02:16:56.560 - 02:17:07.030

Thank you. I never steal. All my life, only help. I don't ask for return. See, a lot of millionaire in Houston.

02:17:07.950 - 02:17:20.040

60 years ago they are poor. Today they all millionaire. I sent them from Burma, Hong Kong, China. They ain't got nothing [JM: Alright.], and I send them go to school.

02:17:20.360 - 02:17:38.810

They all chemistry, biology, electrical engineer, computer—they all got own their home with some people more than a million. One of the–one of the guy I bring him from—he

02:17:39.540 - 02:17:58.240

graduated high school in Burma, and he want to come to United State and he said mama. At that time they are millionaire in Burma, but the companies take over they take everything away so they are poor. They want to come to [unintelligible] abundant—come to

02:17:58.240 - 02:18:13.410

the United States. When they bought the [unintelligible], he said mama she thinks she's smart. She barbecued the chicken. He cannot eat that [unintelligible], but he put jing,

02:18:13.730 - 02:18:29.930

diamond, into the chicken inside. But you ordinary people, those are people and expect them just look at you–you–you face me change know. So they arrest her, put her in jail

02:18:29.930 - 02:18:47.270

for four year, but his son want to get off the airplane too—don't wanna come, but his mama, “You go–you go.” So–so he come to Houston. I send him to UH school—finish college.

02:18:48.070 - 02:19:05.500

Everything I support him and uncle Tony’s wife too—cook for him—cooked, treat him like a son. Now he a millionaire in Burma. And after he graduate school, he worked for St.

02:19:05.780 - 02:19:21.460

Jose (?) hospital. At that time fifty thousand dollars a year. Well you have to pay, in turn for help, you have to pay income tax, you have to pay apartment. He said I cannot be a millionaire like that.

02:19:22.580 - 02:19:38.580

So somehow he bought a money from a small business. He opened the first Chinese grocery store in downtown Chinatown. The first Chinese store with barbecue pig—all this real Chinese food [JM: Okay, all right that’s—] he make million dollars the first

02:19:38.580 - 02:19:56.340

year. Now he—and he’ll open four more store. He didn't make it. How are you gonna—just like me you open two store you can’t have many (?). So he closed all the store, only o-open one in–in–in Chinatown. [JM: Okay that's good.] Now he retire now.

02:19:56.340 - 02:20:08.920

[JM: Okay, that's good. All right. That's good.] And he bought the [JM: That’s good.] he–he his house in Rosenberg. He marry [JM: No, it’s Sugar Land.]—[unintelligible] have no children, so they went to China got two girl.

02:20:10.010 - 02:20:22.180

Yeah, he—at that time, he bought the house half a million dollar, but probably today over a million now. Okay that's good. All right that's good–that's good. He can–he can talk [BM: I talk too much.] all day and all—yeah you–you talk all day and

02:20:22.360 - 02:20:25.880

all night [laughs]. Like my husband [laughs]. Alright.