Post by Chang Sha on Aug 25, 2010 2:33:56 GMT -5
Delta Chinese values, traditions admirable
Leroy Morganti
Sunday July 18, 2010
I have long admired the Chinese in the Mississippi Delta for their hard work, devotion to family, respect for the elderly and adherence to the traditions of their native land while stirring themselves into the melting pot of America.
If my memory is correct, there were six Chinese grocery stores in Rosedale when I was growing up, all of them attached to houses where the owners lived and raised their families. It was much the same throughout the Delta.
The store was the center of life for Delta Chinese in those days, and every member of the family from the newest to the oldest contributed in some manner. It was not unusual to see youngsters barely able to peer over the counter checking out customers and making change in an accurate and confident manner.
Much of what I know about Chinese in the Delta has come from observation and many lunchtime conversations with late friend John P. Quon, a native of Moorhead where his family had a grocery store and farmed.
John, a distinguished professor of accountancy at Delta State University, was very proud of his Chinese heritage, but he was 100 percent American.
If you used the term “Chinese American,” John would quickly correct you. “We are American Chinese; we always put America first.”
It is at Chinese funerals that you get perhaps the best glimpse of their devotion to family – especially the elderly – and to the meaningful traditions that originated in what they refer to as “Old China” but are still practiced in some form in America today.
It is a common sight to see the elderly treated with great respect and appreciation by grandchildren and great-grandchildren who escort them to honored seats among the family mourners, a sharp contrast to most of the non-Chinese population where older members are often viewed as troublesome burdens by the very young.
Among my treasured keepsakes are two small manila envelopes, each containing a coin and a mint wrapped in cellophane.
I was given the first at Professor Quon’s funeral and the second at the funeral of George Seu of Greenville, the father of John’s wife Frieda, who recently retired from the DSU library staff.
Those envelopes were prepared by members of the Quon and Seu families to give to mourners upon leaving the cemetery. The coin and mint symbolize the wishes of the departed that you have prosperity and sweetness in your life. I especially like that tradition.
Another tradition is the taboo against the funeral procession’s “crossing the path,” which means the route taken to the church or funeral home cannot be intersected or crossed en route to the cemetery. To do so is to invite bad luck.
On the way to the cemetery, the procession stops at the family home or business where a black bow is hanging on the door.
Chinese women remove the bow and give it to the funeral director to place on the casket, signifying that the spirit of the deceased is once again united with the body for its final journey on this earth and into eternity.
Adherence to these and other time-honored traditions provide younger Chinese an opportunity to connect with their history and with those who have gone before them.
There are a number of books by prominent authors and scholars on Chinese in the Delta if you want to learn more about these honorable people.
However, none compare in firsthand knowledge to a small publication written by Ted Shepherd, who served as pastor of the Chinese Mission of Greenville’s First Baptist Church from 1977 to 1999.
It’s titled “The Chinese of Greenville, Mississippi” and your local library may have it.
Reverend Shepherd did more than study the Delta Chinese; he deeply immersed himself in their lives, cultures and traditions and felt blessed in doing so.
Leroy Morganti is a former sports editor for the Delta Democrat Times who went on to become a vice president at Delta State University. He lives in Benoit. Contact him at lemorganti@hughes.net
Leroy Morganti
Sunday July 18, 2010
I have long admired the Chinese in the Mississippi Delta for their hard work, devotion to family, respect for the elderly and adherence to the traditions of their native land while stirring themselves into the melting pot of America.
If my memory is correct, there were six Chinese grocery stores in Rosedale when I was growing up, all of them attached to houses where the owners lived and raised their families. It was much the same throughout the Delta.
The store was the center of life for Delta Chinese in those days, and every member of the family from the newest to the oldest contributed in some manner. It was not unusual to see youngsters barely able to peer over the counter checking out customers and making change in an accurate and confident manner.
Much of what I know about Chinese in the Delta has come from observation and many lunchtime conversations with late friend John P. Quon, a native of Moorhead where his family had a grocery store and farmed.
John, a distinguished professor of accountancy at Delta State University, was very proud of his Chinese heritage, but he was 100 percent American.
If you used the term “Chinese American,” John would quickly correct you. “We are American Chinese; we always put America first.”
It is at Chinese funerals that you get perhaps the best glimpse of their devotion to family – especially the elderly – and to the meaningful traditions that originated in what they refer to as “Old China” but are still practiced in some form in America today.
It is a common sight to see the elderly treated with great respect and appreciation by grandchildren and great-grandchildren who escort them to honored seats among the family mourners, a sharp contrast to most of the non-Chinese population where older members are often viewed as troublesome burdens by the very young.
Among my treasured keepsakes are two small manila envelopes, each containing a coin and a mint wrapped in cellophane.
I was given the first at Professor Quon’s funeral and the second at the funeral of George Seu of Greenville, the father of John’s wife Frieda, who recently retired from the DSU library staff.
Those envelopes were prepared by members of the Quon and Seu families to give to mourners upon leaving the cemetery. The coin and mint symbolize the wishes of the departed that you have prosperity and sweetness in your life. I especially like that tradition.
Another tradition is the taboo against the funeral procession’s “crossing the path,” which means the route taken to the church or funeral home cannot be intersected or crossed en route to the cemetery. To do so is to invite bad luck.
On the way to the cemetery, the procession stops at the family home or business where a black bow is hanging on the door.
Chinese women remove the bow and give it to the funeral director to place on the casket, signifying that the spirit of the deceased is once again united with the body for its final journey on this earth and into eternity.
Adherence to these and other time-honored traditions provide younger Chinese an opportunity to connect with their history and with those who have gone before them.
There are a number of books by prominent authors and scholars on Chinese in the Delta if you want to learn more about these honorable people.
However, none compare in firsthand knowledge to a small publication written by Ted Shepherd, who served as pastor of the Chinese Mission of Greenville’s First Baptist Church from 1977 to 1999.
It’s titled “The Chinese of Greenville, Mississippi” and your local library may have it.
Reverend Shepherd did more than study the Delta Chinese; he deeply immersed himself in their lives, cultures and traditions and felt blessed in doing so.
Leroy Morganti is a former sports editor for the Delta Democrat Times who went on to become a vice president at Delta State University. He lives in Benoit. Contact him at lemorganti@hughes.net