San Francisco's Chinatown Reacts to Communist China

There can be no stable and enduring peace without the participation of the People's Republic of China and its seven hundred fifty million people. That is why I have undertaken initiatives in several areas to open the door for more normal relations between our two countries. The Chinese knew that most of the Chinese here 90 percent know that. At the feeding at the high end he community the Chinese He belongs to my not of the quote. So I think they would follow the majority. I don't have any comment at this point in fact that is a dilemma is typical of us to express a opinion we have received maybe a few strong protests from the Taiwan government because we know we have been friends for so long you know 20 some years we have been friends and now they

say that were just like stabbing them in the back. No segment of the American people was more deeply affected by President Nixon's disclosure that he would visit China then the Chinese community their ties to their ancestral homeland go beyond political and economic considerations. There are bonds involved kin. And culture. How have these people reacted with the changing tone of relations between Washington and Peking. What does the importation of goods from mainland China for many of the motherland mean on a personal level. And what are their feelings on the political issues involved. Where do they stand in the debate over the mainland and Taiwan. We tried to find out some of the answers by going to the largest Chinese

community outside. And talking to some of the people there who are deeply involved with these questions. When the cable car the buses you would California Street and grampa knew you were about to enter one of the most complex and exotic pockets of the country. This is San Francisco's Chinatown. Twenty eight square blocks on the slope of 50000 people. Chinatown has its roots in the middle of the last century. Its growth was caused by the thousands of Chinese laborers who came to this country to construct the Central Pacific Railroad. This down Grant Avenue the main thoroughfare are impressed by the tourist Chinatown but Chinatown of the golden and Empress of China restaurant the China Town of Guinn was part goods of Hong

fans of Hong Chows emporium for fine dresses of the renowned Chinatown and of telephone those that looked like miniature pagodas and banks that have facades which seem like entrances to the Forbidden City for a slight variation. There's the Hong Kong boy. All you can eat a dollar seventy five and your visit to the area is accompanied by the music from the loudspeaker above the rest. By the time you emerge from Chinatown you probably will be somewhat poorer than when you went last year. Perhaps having indulged yourself in some souvenirs at the Canton bazaar dining at the Forest Cafe on Bird's Nest and buying furniture that were sampling alluring beverages at the concubine. You may be poor.

You certainly will be mystified. You are not the only ones overwhelmed by this bewildering slice of the Orient on our West Coast for granted and it's tributaries not only exist for the tourist pleasure. There is another crowd here side by side with what the visitor has come for and it is this that gives the district its aura of fascination. It is the Chinatown of Chong fattened company groceries hardware store Herb Company. It is the community of Chinatown itself. It is a visible touchable but essentially closed society to the visitor. It is distinct because its members want it that way. An outsider rarely can penetrate into the thinking of this fellowship however friendly and hospitable it may be to him. The outsider will always be just a tourist right.

For example we spent two days in pursuit of a certain minister who supposedly was running the company gourmet food company established in 1856 was the first store in Chinatown in the last century to begin trade with mainland China and it was the first to resume business with the mainland. Following President Nixon's recent decision relaxing trade restrictions with China. Company caters primarily to the consumers of San Francisco's Chinatown to housewives. Their families and to various restaurant owners it is rare that you will see a tourist inside its doors on its shelves. You can find such delicacies from Hong Kong and Taiwan as preserved and dried bamboo shoots and pickled ginger. Now in its front window he is displaying direct from the mainland. Ten new items including four spices soup dried watercress white milk

candy. And long tail and from the Yellow River. When we enter the. We asked if we could speak with the manager. A young man sorting jars and boxes after asking what our business was going to do the back and said See Mr Ho. We went to the back and another gentleman said Mr Hope is not in. He will be back. We said we will be back. We returned. Twice. Finally there was Mr Hope seated at his desk. We presented ourselves and told him why we were there. Mr Hole looked at us and said You must speak with Mr. Jang. He is the boss. Very good. Where is Mr. Jang. We asked. He is out delivering said Mr. Hall and will not be back for some time. It was late. We said we would return the following day. It is interesting to note that during this last visit of the day the electricity in the store failed. The elderly Chinese tending the cash

register gave no sign of dismay as he moved a pace to his left and began tabulating the next customer's bill on an abacus. We returned the following day. Once again we approached Mr Hall is Mr jangan now. We asked Mr Hall nodded rose and took us to the front of the store where the same young man we had met the day before was sorting still more boxes and more jars. This is Mr. Jang said Mr Hall. Calvert Jang is in his early 20s. He is the fifth generation of his family to be running the company since it was founded 100 15 years ago. His reign will be brief. His father is off in Hong Kong on business but Calvert Jang knows the trade. We spoke with him about what the relaxation of restrictions with mainland China means to his business and to the Chinese-American community.

It is the opening of a new market and more variety for my customers. But we have very mixed feelings. So far we have been selling off since we had a first start to obtain them and the customers show a fable reaction. There is a slightly expensive due the high tariff rate. They have been snapping them up these goods are more expensive than say comparable goods from Taiwan. Yes we pay half the taxes but then we pay on the Taiwan goods. So these extra costs we must pass on to the consumer. Where does it benefit you as a businessman to get goods from breaking you're going to be so tried to interrupt. It does not benefit us not presently. I think it's a novelty now since the people around the neighborhood think that this is you know goods from the homeland you know from Red China and I think eventually they find out about the quality of the goods is comparable with those from Taiwan they'll turn to Taiwan because it is good in the way that they are that market to Red China is open for most people on their toes. What we like you know is a

good competition. What do you think from your observation. When the opening of trade was about the reaction in the community was very mixed. Most of the businessmen in town were very unsure and I think from the general reaction of the individual the street the consumer was that is they're very happy. Well we have we see maybe a few strong protests from the Taiwan government because you know we have been friends for so long you know 20 some odd years we have been friends and now they say they are just like us diving in there and that's what they got and the sort of word out throughout the entire trannies community here. I think the general feeling is that they did not say right now more so better than the Pope but so far thinking has not changed. I think that the since the embargo they have sort of gone the mystique about them you know they're being super goods and I think that what's to compare is both products I think

it's what if the U.S. doesn't sign a reciprocal trade agreement do you think the novelty of the housewife buying goods from thinking are often she'll return to a much lower price of goods from Taiwan. So I think of all things a money saver despite his knowledge of the Chinese food business. Maybe the last of his family to be involved in the running of the company after five generations of family operation. Calvert is planning to be a dentist but Chinatown of his father and grandfathers is changing in other ways also positive other young unlike Calvert are striking out on their own to the dismay of their elder juvenile delinquency is becoming more and more of a problem something almost unheard of in the past. I'm Don Grant I have a new leather jacket and you can be seen and heard

cruising the street on their motorbikes in search of attention and fun. A more substantial change involves education. Ninety percent of Chinatown's inhabitants are of Cantonese descent but advanced students in some of the Chinese schools in the area are being told the member in dialect Mandarin is the official language of both mainland China and Taiwan. Another change in educational procedures far more emotional to the Chinese community is the issue of school bus. But community prefers to keep its children in its own schools. And on a lighter note even the venerable sun singly in the screen as shown countless movies from Hong Kong in Taiwan now has sound writers whose composers have slightly altered the music of classical Chinese heroic drama.

Nowhere in San Francisco's China. The changing times more starkly illustrated than a 228 Columbus Avenue one block east of Grant Avenue on the windows are photographs of happy workers and singing soldiers hydro electric plants booming oil refineries and busy farm commune. These photos are from mainland China. They are in the windows of a Chinese voice a weekly and one of five papers in China. It is the only one that is prob taking. The voice began two years ago with a circulation of 800. It now has a circulation of 5000 per week. And who is coming off the presses as you enter. You are struck by a large sign above the main reception desk. It says Welcome to the Chinese voice. Long live Chairman Mao. On one wall there is a large multi colored photograph of Mao Tse-Tung waving to his supporters he is accompanied by joy

in life and live. Under it. Since the editor of the Chinese voice. Editor has been in extremely good spirits since the new tone of American Chinese relations. Except a very small handful it's not the reaction that the majority of the Chinese people are aware of this new because it's their people media relations and also as their relation up exchange would certainly benefit the Chinese community here and I can give you the example of that in the Chinese voice in this issue you know a fine pitch where very important news in this Chinese democratic clap because it has next in your life that people are part of China.

Saw the sole legal government of Hina and also to acknowledge the Taiwan wobbling is the problem and it is a very important announcement because I understand this Chinese democratic. Clap. Before the foreign policy. And now they're not only come out with foreign policy but also it's a very strong one and the correct one. This I think is good news and also a very big chance in the Chinese community. What about the community in general. Do you think they possibly have mixed feelings mixed believin says between China and the Chinese in this country. Once you know what the what development in the modern then and I think this is only that this is only human nature because particular the Chinese people who go to Chinese people always have.

He's always saying that when drinking a lot of things thinking of the slaughter and the wind it leaves you mentally when the loot that you mean by these people to see that at the end you become a nation in the benefit of the human being that has the Chinese people repost and that one for the humanity. From John newspaper on Columbus to an import export on Waverly Place called the light company it's a short four block seven minute walk metered on the political clock the distance is twenty two years since the communists took over the mainland in 1949 has been one of the great bastions of nationalist support in China. He is a

powerful businessman a president of the Chinese companies the Benevolent Association which looks after the welfare of the Chinese community. During the height of the Cold War influence in Chinatown was at its peak. He was a firm advocate of the Dulles containment policy towards China and an unwavering supporter of Richard Nixon. Until recently now he believes Nixon doesn't know what he is doing will not support him again. And if it comes down to it feels that Taiwan should walk out of the UN voluntarily. When we saw Mr. Dune at the light company he was surrounded by boxes of foodstuffs from Taiwan mostly mushrooms objects of ancient China. Several elderly followers one younger bigger and much tougher looking Chinese and two pictures of Chiang Kai shek. Who can speak English though not perfectly refused to give an interview except in Chinese. He called upon one of his associates to translate for us. Not satisfied

with translator number one called upon another man. Doom's English in our estimation. Was as good as either man's moment is he saying very much that much as a matter of fact that most of the Chinese here are 90 percent better at the feeling. At the high end communities they don't care to buy anything any product from mainland China. They can get it. But does he think US reaction will be. Should the United States recognize communist China and should communist China going to the United Nations. So you would. Have to communicate China

and community regime to get into the U.N. all these happen but pick up a China that hasn't got me they have their way to deal with it. A question like you think well in the case of let the. Community get in the U.N. would be if things. Were young in their imagination. Because he not only the if but and but the people here saying yes to the Chinese nationalist conflict between the extremes of Wang And John there is a middle view in the Chinese community a more cautious perhaps more realistic.

Possibly the most representative its voice may be found at 7:30 Sacramento's around the corner from the light company. These are the offices of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce whose executive secretary is Dr. Wei Ren thing before he came to this country five years ago. Dr Fang was a professor of philosophy both on the mainland and later on Taiwan. Dr. Phil is an intellectual fronting for a world of businessmen restaurant owners and merchants. His Chinese brush paintings are exquisite to the outsider they represent both the beauty and mystery of his homeland. Dr comments on his community's reactions to the latest moves in U.S.-Chinese relations are no less veiled. Possibly his opinion does represent all but the majority in the Chinese community will disclose on the subject. To an outsider. Interestingly in Dr

Fang's office there is a portrait of Sun Yat sen the founder of the Chinese Republic which will offend no one businessman in China of course is their business. If this is a winnable tourney as I understand business is and and I have been away from what I do have more opportunities to increase business. Many Chinese here originated and mainland. It's natural that they are allowed to have something. What do you think the opening of trade with China would do to the Japanese goods and the goods from Taiwan in pounds like quality. Ah now we clearly we cannot say what we would be about what Libya

would be how do you think the community here in San Francisco's Chinatown views the political dilemma between Taiwan and the mainland. Do you think they favor one or the other. That is really at that and I saw you I saw people here you know I really didn't know what to say is here in America. When they like to be caught since since his death that has led to the federal what is going on. Do you think there would be general rejoicing here in Chinatown if we the United States recognize baking and thanking God and the United Nations and I think it's still tough not to think of that. Now it's time that he belongs the man out of the club. So I think they would follow the majority.

I don't have any comment at this point and that is he that is dilemma is typical of us to express how opinion we visited Dr. thing twice the second time. To look more closely at his brush paintings we left him working on still another one. When we emerge from his building night was falling in Chinatown the neon signs of the Imperial Palace Restaurant Copley's novelty shop and the Immortal's cocktail lounge were going on. The tourist caravans were descending on Grand Avenue in increasing numbers. Calvin Jang was walking home from work with a lovely young girl. John was still in his office planning his next editorial and mapping out his lecture schedule. Huang had closed his books for the day and was in animated conversation with his associates in Chinese of course. As we walked to the cable car

stop at California and grant we reflected on what turned out to be four days in search of answers to rather specific questions and had been struck not so much by the answers themselves but by the culture which provided them. We made our way to the probably stuff. We noticed on our left that Guinn wools hardware store. Was shut for the night. Richard Wright a guest on his right 26 choice best joined six of them just loved to eat. As I say nothing belongs to you and you have eaten it. This special report has been a production of National Public Radio in Washington D.C. for this broadcast and.

This program was distributed by National Public Radio.