Interview with Chan Wah
Background: Chan Wah, a childless widower, helped run Chin Lee’s Restaurant, a popular Chinese restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. He wanted to go back to China to remarry and, with luck, start a family, so applied for a reentry permit. He completed the paperwork, paid an application fee, submitted documentation, and appeared for two interviews with inspectors. He also provided the names of two witnesses, who had been in business with Chin Lee’s Restaurant for many years. This process, known as “pre-investigation,” gave Chan Wah an official decision on his merchant status application ahead of his departure.
Q. What are your names?
A. Chan Wah, given name, Chan Ming, married name and no others
Q. Age, occupation, and address?
A. 31, co-manager Chin Lee restaurant, 159 Westminster Street, Providence, R.I.
Q. Where were you born?
A. Chung Li, S.N.D. China
Q. When did you first come to the U.S.?
A. September 190, (sic) as Section 6 student thru port of Richford, VT (for landing record see Richford serial 774)
Q. What have you been doing since being admitted?
A. I went to school on Tyler St., for one year, then to Pawtucket R.I. to school for a few months, then I returned to Boston and became a member of the Wing Chong Lang Co., for over one year: then I went to the store of Kwong Sang Ling, 36 Main St., Springfield, Mass., for over two years, then to the Kwong Wah Chong store, in New York, for about two years; then I came to this restaurant taking the place of Chin Get Chong, as co-manager
Q. What interest have you in this restaurant?
A. 00.00. 0 in 1918, 0 when I became active
Q. Please produce your books showing the names of stockholders and point out your name and interest?
A. Does so
Q. For what amount is this restaurant capitalized?
A. ,500.00
Q. How many stockholders?
A. Fifty-four
Q. Who is the manager of this restaurant?
A. Chin Goey Lee, Chin Tung Koon, is the day manager, I am the night manager.
Q. What are your exact duties?
A. I am the treasurer, and after Mr. Chin Lee goes home in the evening I am the manager.
Q. You act as a cashier sometimes?
A. No, we have a white lady who does that, she turns the receipts in to me and I prepare the money for Mr. Chin Lee to deposit in the bank next day.
Q. Do you purchase any of the goods for this restaurant?
A. Only sometime.
Q. Do you put on a white coat during the day same as the waiters do here?
A. No, never do.
Q. Do you wait on table during the rush hour?
A. No, I seat customers when they come in.
Source: File 2500/3696, Record Group 85, Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files, National Archives and Records Administration-Northeast Region (Boston).