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Post by helen on Dec 23, 2017 22:26:10 GMT -5
The Two Volume book recording the history throughout NZ. Traces the development of Chinese fruit shops from the general store-cum-greengrocer of the 1880s through to the fresh fruit and vegetable retailer of today. The 1950s and 60s were the heyday years of Chinese fruit shops: a time of economic growth and prosperity after the hard times of the Depression and the Second World War, both of which affected Chinese fruiterers. After 4 years of research, the book is finally printed. Will be available from after the book launch in Auckland February 24 2018.
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Post by helen on Dec 23, 2017 22:27:08 GMT -5
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Post by helen on Jan 31, 2018 1:44:59 GMT -5
Book Review by Trevor Agnew
Fruitful Research
The Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust has performed a valuable service in publishing The Fruits of Our Labours. It wasn’t until I started leafing through it that I fully realised that, in the space of a few generations, we have seen the rise and fall of the Chinese fruit-shop as an institution. Like so many other specialised services that we took for granted, family fruit-shops have been swept away by the changes in how we do our shopping. Here we have an important social document, which recognises a significant chapter in our nation’s history. Typical of the careful research behind this work, a fascinating graph shows that as the number of Chinese working at gold-mining declined, the number working in fruit-shops and market gardens began to increase. Every region has its own graph showing the number of Chinese fruit-shops over the years. In most areas the first shops opened in the 1880s, followed by a steady increase to the 1920s; the peak years were from the 1940s to the 1970s and then came a steady decline in numbers, attributed to the rise of supermarkets and introduction of weekend trading.
The family-owned Chinese fruit-shop (like the market garden and the laundry) was a system which rewarded effort and expertise with a reasonable chance of prosperity. It was an escalator, driven by human toil, which conveyed people from life as Chinese peasants to life as New Zealand professionals. It wasn’t efficient, and there were casualties but over three generations it helped create a prosperous, well-educated group of New Zealanders. a clear pattern emerges for most New Zealand Chinese families’ fruit-shop experience.
First comes a brave individual. Only he’s not an individual; he’s part of a tightly-linked system of clan loyalty and obligation. Guided by letters from relatives, he arrives in New Zealand to face the poll tax, language barriers and racial hostility. He copes with long hours of tedious work and the stress of repaying loans but is helped and encouraged by a network of relatives, village cousins and local Chinese. Marriage becomes a possibility. He starts his own shop. His children all work hard there. His wife works even harder. A generation passes. The family enterprise adapts. Everyone works hard. Signs of success may include acceptance in the community, buying a truck or opening another branch. Members of the next generation are able to gain professional qualifications and become doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers and engineers – and that’s only the girls.
There are dozens of variations on this theme in the sixteen regions covered in The Fruits of Our Labours, and every one of them carries a distinct fascination.
So who is going to read The Fruits of Our Labours? Obviously public libraries will buy it as a well-documented slice of New Zealand history. Equally obviously, secondary school libraries will find it useful as a social studies resource. Even more obviously, those elderly people whose stories are told in these pages will want a copy.
My concern is for a fourth group, those young family members – the doctors, lawyers, accountants, teacher and engineers - who barely remember the fruit-shop run by their parents and grandparents. It is vitally important for them to buy this book and use it as a base for building up their own detailed personal family history. There are plenty of good examples in these volumes, with Albert Young particularly evocative in listing his work as a five-year old in Timaru’s Crown Fruit Supply, “… sweep the floor, open newspaper for wrapping, fill up bag racks, fill up cigarette stands, pre-bag onions and potatoes, carry parcels to customers’ cars, try to open wooden boxes of fruit, and anything else Dad could think of.”
As Daniel Wong puts it, “The shop taught us the value of money.”
The five authors of this book have done a brilliant job of assembling all the information they could find about every Chinese fruit-shop in New Zealand. (The criteria that were used are detailed on p.8.) The handy database at the end of Volume 2 is breath-taking in its scope, listing every known shop from Bluff (W. Wong, 1940s) to Kaitaia (Hop Hing & Co, 1942-59), along with their Chinese names, owners’ names, dates, and their original village and county origin. There are maps, diagrams, graphs, shop plans and masses of photographs.
I hope that everyone with a fruit-shop in their family buys this book and uses it as a starting point to create their own family history. If they do, the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust can be proud of their continued support for the preservation of Chinese New Zealand history.
Trevor Agnew 25 January 2018
Trevor was a teacher of history and English and teacher-librarian at Hillmorton High School for many years. He has a particular interest in children’s literature and is one of its strongest advocates. As well as being a contributor and reviewer for Magpies, an Australian children’s literature journal, Trevor has been a judge for the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards, and has won awards for his efforts in promoting children’s and young adults’ literature. He is also kept busy as a book reviewer and television columnist for the Christchurch Press. Trevor is married to Jenny (nee Sew Hoy). They are currently researching the life and times of Choie Sewhoy. Trevor has written several articles about New Zealand Chinese and is often a guest speaker on the topic.
Book Review (length edited)
The Fruits of Our Labours: Chinese Fruit Shops in New Zealand Ruth Lam, Beverly Lowe, Helen Wong, Michael Wong, Carolyn King Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust (2018) 904 pages, 2 volumes Softcover ISBN 978-0-473-41550-1 NZ$90
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Post by helen on Feb 26, 2018 13:56:34 GMT -5
New book The Fruits of Our Labours uncovers the forgotten world of Chinese-owned fruit shops Hundreds of Chinese New Zealanders have gathered for a book launch on Saturday afternoon to remember an era in this country's history that has all but disappeared. In the '50s and '60s, almost every small town and city suburb had a fruit shop run by a local Chinese family. But only around 10 have survived as supermarkets and online shopping have taken over. Eileen Loo has been stocking fruit shop shelves since she was 12. Now 85, retirement is not an option. "Well you can say I'm going to die with my boots on - as long as I can do it, I'll do it," she told Newshub. The Loo family are one of just a handful of original fruit shops still operating; thousands of others have long shut down. In their place are coffee shops, dairies and mostly supermarkets. Many fruiterers were once poor gold miners, whose entrepreneurial skills and contacts in China earned some a good living - until big business came along. "Mostly Mr Foodtown. He was Chinese himself, he grew up in a fruit shop background, but he bought the supermarkets," co-author Helen Wong said. "[He] brought Foodtown to New Zealand and from there on, the Foodtown concept took off." Stocking shelves now, a record of how it all began, is The Fruits Of Our Labours - the result of seven years of interviews by five co-authors. "It would have been forgotten - it had to be recorded, just like any history, otherwise it would have been lost," co-author Beverly Lowe said. In small towns, Friday nights at the fruit shop were quite an occasion as farmers converged for weekly groceries and catch-ups. "Families grew up there. People were telling us stories about their babies sleeping in apple boxes, it was pretty much their whole life," said co-author Helen Lam. The heyday success of fruit shops also contributed to their demise as there was no-one to take over. Parents did the hard yards so future generations could get careers outside the shop - and now, the traditional Chinese fruit shops has become a thing of the past. Newshub. www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/new-book-the-fruits-of-our-labours-uncovers-the-forgotten-world-of-chinese-owned-fruit-shops.html
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Post by chakrajuices on Nov 9, 2018 14:46:31 GMT -5
Hi Helen, I am trying to find my Grandfathers Lineage/Family in China and came across your post.
My GF worked in the Gardens too in Panmure for his cousin and then leased gardens for himself, as well as working in a Fruit shop in Panmure, as did my mother.
My mum told me he was known as Ah Wai Seto or George Yew Shuen. And I am currently finding out more about his lineage from Fay, Doug and Jason Wu.
I really don't have much information about him or his relatives in New Zealand and thought I'd take a chance on connecting with you?
I have found out there is another book listing all the names (or as many as they have) of the Chinese garden workers in Auckland. When I have more information about this I will post it.
Thanks.
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Post by helen on Nov 10, 2018 1:36:51 GMT -5
Hi Helen, I am trying to find my Grandfathers Lineage/Family in China and came across your post. My GF worked in the Gardens too in Panmure for his cousin and then leased gardens for himself, as well as working in a Fruit shop in Panmure, as did my mother. My mum told me he was known as Ah Wai Seto or George Yew Shuen. And I am currently finding out more about his lineage from Fay, Doug and Jason Wu. I really don't have much information about him or his relatives in New Zealand and thought I'd take a chance on connecting with you? I have found out there is another book listing all the names (or as many as they have) of the Chinese garden workers in Auckland. When I have more information about this I will post it. Thanks. Hi There Chakrajuices - can you tell me the years? Do you have Chinese characters, and your Mum's name? What is you family name?
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Post by chakrajuices on Nov 10, 2018 2:26:27 GMT -5
Hi Helen, I have sent you a PM. Thanks Sophie
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Post by helen on Nov 21, 2018 3:09:13 GMT -5
Hi Sophie - If you or your family would like to buy the fruit shop book - you can email fruitsofourlabours@gmail.com
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Post by hyungyee on Feb 11, 2019 21:00:02 GMT -5
Hi Helen, The Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust has also commissioned a book on the history of Chinese Laundries in New Zealand. It will be released in April or May 2019. I came in touch with hte author when reseaching the journey of my mother's family from Taishan to Christchurch beginning in the late 1890's. My great-grandfather operated a laundry in Christchurch and his story is now included.
best regards, Helen
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Post by helen on Feb 16, 2019 21:30:24 GMT -5
Hope you story has been captured by Joanne Boileau. I know that she has been working hard on the book - and the book will be launched soon. Did you finish your family research?
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