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The Loss of My Family’s Connection to Chinatown
In the early 80’s my family got on a boat and immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts. Eager to start a new life for his family in the US, my grandfather left his life as a bridge architect in southern China to become a baker in Boston’s historic Chinatown.
Having little to their name and being the firsts in their family to step foot in the States, my grandparents were relegated to living in a small one-bedroom apartment along with their two children above their place of work. Ho Yuen Bakery, as it stands today, is a historical relic of Boston’s old Chinatown. At the time of writing this, many of its traditional Cantonese roots have been washed away by the tides of time. Institutional restaurants like 醉瓊樓 (jeui kìhng làuh, also known as East Ocean City), opened in 1991, that had strong local ties were pushed out due to lack of customers and replaced with places like Gourmet Dumpling House that cater more to non-Chinese patrons. For over 30 years, Ho Yuen Bakery has stood strong in the heart of Chinatown (quite literally), as its real estate places the bakery smack dab in the middle of Beach Street — the crux around which the neighborhood is centered around.
