Soon after, significant amounts of food were being imported from China to America's west coast. By 1850, there were five Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. These restaurants served as gathering places and cultural centers for the Chinese community. In 1852, the ratio of male to female Chinese immigrants was a 18:1. They provided a connection to home, particularly for the many bachelors who did not have the resources or knowledge to cook for themselves. Either way, these and other such restaurants were central features in the daily lives of immigrants.

Both unphotographed establishments were founded in 1849 in San Francisco. Some say it was Macau and Woosung, while others cite Canton Restaurant. The first Chinese restaurant in America is debated.

Ĭhinese restaurants in the United States began during the California Gold Rush (1848–1855), which brought 20,000–30,000 immigrants across from the Canton (Guangdong) region of China. Even though the new flavors and dishes meant they were not strictly Chinese cuisine, these Chinese restaurants have been cultural ambassadors to Americans. First catering to miners and railroad workers, they established new eateries in towns where Chinese food was completely unknown, adapting local ingredients and catering to their customers' tastes. These smaller restaurants were responsible for developing American Chinese cuisine, where the food was modified to suit a more American palate. Many of these small-town restaurant owners were self-taught family cooks who improvised on different cooking methods using whatever ingredients were available. The restaurants in smaller towns (mostly owned by Chinese immigrants) served food based on what their customers requested, anything ranging from pork chop sandwiches and apple pie, to beans and eggs. īy the 19th century, the Chinese community in San Francisco operated sophisticated and sometimes luxurious restaurants patronized mainly by Chinese. Here the immigrants started their own small businesses, including restaurants and laundry services. They mostly lived together in ghettos, individually referred to as ' Chinatown'. As larger groups arrived, laws were put in place preventing them from owning land. Theodore Wores, 1884, Chinese Restaurant, oil on canvas, 83 x 56 cm, Crocker Art Museum, SacramentoĬhinese immigrants arrived in the United States seeking employment as miners and railroad workers.

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