Museum of Chinese in America

David is a member of the New York Chinatown community who opened a laundry business before the Great Depression. He arrived in Chinatown in 1927, and exploring streets such as Bayard and Mott, observed a community with Chinese fabric stores, banks, drugstores, coffee shops, a theater, a dance hall, and a subway. Despite this economic vibrancy, areas such as Division Street were plagued by crime and instability. David opened a laundry business that was successful at first, but it was severely impacted by the Great Depression in 1929, which detrimentally affected his operations and financial stability. The economic downturn prevented him from returning to China and intensified the challenges within the community. However, the strong sense of mutual support among Chinese grocery store owners helped many survive, ensuring no one went hungry despite the economic hardships. David pointed out the existence of Jewish businesses in Chinatown and the difficulties experienced by Chinese grocers with limited English skills. Members of the community who learned English did so through Sunday schools and the neighborhood churches. Many laundrymen stayed in their laundries across the city and came to Chinatown on Sundays. They addressed the challenge of navigating the city with limited English language skills by providing cabdrivers with written addresses, counting lights and steps, and counting stops when taking the subway. David stressed the importance of being cautious, avoiding suspicious individuals, and relying on community support when necessary. This interview is one of three conducted with David Chin in 1990. Please note that the audio quality is low in parts of the interview.