Curator

Urban, Andy

Curator

Delaney, Pat

Curator

Lopez, Aldo

Curator

Kushner, Aviva

Curator

Robinson, Stephen

Exhibition section

Forms part of

Lii Yuen Sooy and Jew Goon Jing

Chinese immigrants to the United States faced many hardships during the early-twentieth century. Many did not speak the language and faced prejudice and suspicion over whether they would be able to assimilate. The Chinese faced many unfair practices that restricted their ability to enter the country, or did not allow them to return if they left.

As merchants however, Lii Yuen Sooy and Jew Goon Jing could use their class position and connections with prominent white Americans in order to prove their permitted status. Lii, for example, provided a letter from James Seymour (see image below), the Mayor of Newark, stating that he was a “highly respected merchant and resident” of the city.

Prior to coming to Newark, Jew Goon Jing resided in Havana, Cuba. Many Chinese immigrants who ended up in the New York City area came from Cuba, where a large Chinese community existed. In the 1850s, sugar planters in Cuba brought Chinese “coolies” – contracted laborers indentured to plantations – to the island. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, a more economically diverse Chinese community had developed in Cuba, and Havana’s “El Barrio Chino” was one of the largest Chinatowns in Latin America.

Exhibition caption

Forms part of

Letter from James M. Clark, attesting to the legitimacy of Lii Yuen Sooy being a merchant.

The following affidavit, from James Clark of Newark, was used to attest to the validity of Chinese immigrants’ claims that they were merchants. Among the points that Clark’s testifies to, is the fact that he has not seen Lii engaged in any manual labor. Clark stated in the affidavit that he worked for a Machinists firm in Newark, and it is likely that he shopped at the retail grocery firm in which Lii was a partner.

Placement in digital exhibition

Forms part of

41