Chinese grocery heritage recalled

Nearly 90 were on the south and southwest sides of town.

Immigrants who sailed to California in the 1870s to join the Gold Rush later took jobs with the railroad. As the railroad moved eastward, so did the workers, many of whom put down roots in Tucson, said Patsy Lee, past president of the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center.

Chinese grocers and their impact on Tucson is the subject of a daylong program, "The Vanishing Chinese Grocery Store," Saturday at the Cultural Center.

Among the many stores to be featured through historic photos will be Joe W. Tang's Market, which was owned and operated by Joe W. and Chan Woon Gum Tang from the 1890s to 1955 on Ninth Avenue at Bean Avenue.

Tori Tang, 17, a great-granddaughter of the founder, has created an oral history video of that market that will be played at Saturday's event. "It's about little things my grandfather told me about the store," said Tang, a senior at Amphitheater High School, referring to her granddad Walter "Wally" Young Tang Sr.

Among those things, he told her that his father's family of 14 lived behind the market, and that none of the store's grocery items went to waste if they were dented or bruised because the family ate those.

"He said there was a lot of prejudice" in Tucson, she added.

Another market to be highlighted, T&T at 2048 S. Sixth Ave., is still open today, run by a third-generation family member. "That's very rare," said the Cultural Center's Lee.

T&T Market was opened in 1942 by Gee Poon Lim, who was born in Canton, China, moved to California as a teenager and started out as a houseboy cooking and cleaning in a San Francisco home. He moved to Tucson "for better opportunity" and eventually owned several markets here, said his son Keen Gee, who operated T&T from 1971 to 1985.

Today, T&T is owned and operated by Gee Poon Lim's grandson Kenyon Gee.

Kenyon Gee, who has a degree in purchasing, and his wife, Terry, who has an economics degree, have remodeled and invested time, money and energy into the store, one of just a handful of "mom and pop" stores with original ownership here, Terry Gee said.

Their niche includes offering fresh produce, fresh meat and homemade chorizo, as examples, she said.

"We're a very small store trying to do our best in a difficult economic time," when customers are hurting financially, she said. "It's very difficult - I have to tell you."

Kenyon Gee said he's proud to have kept his family's neighborhood store open all these years and to honor its history.

"We've been able to grow the business every year, up until these last two years," he said. But in the economic downturn, business is down probably 40 percent from last year, he said.

He grew up in the market, and his own two children work there today. "It's nice to pass that value on," Kenyon Gee said. "I don't expect my son or daughter to take it over, but it's nice that they can be a part of it and contribute."

IF YOu GO

What: "The Vanishing Chinese Grocery Store" programs. Speakers from Penn State University and the University of California, as well as an author and a documentary filmmaker, will be featured.

When: Saturday beginning with 8:30 a.m. registration.

Where: Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 W. River Road.

Cost: Though the morning programs are free, there is a charge for afternoon programs, which include lunch, a cooking demonstration by chef Martin Yan and an "Iron Chef"-type competition. Cost is $10 for Cultural Center members and $15 for non-members. A $150-per-person fundraising dinner Saturday night will be catered by Harvest Moon Restaurant.

For more information and a schedule of events, go to www.tucsonchinese.org or call 292-6900.

Star reporter Kim Matas contributed to this report. Contact Business Editor Norma Coile at ncoile@azstarnet.com or 573-4663.