Table 1: Detroit Free Press and News1 Record of Chinese in Detroit
    Year Number of Chinese2
    1872 1
    1873 3
    1874 10
    1876 14
    1878 8-10
    1879 6
    1886 27
    1890 50
    1903 12
    1911 100
    1922 400
    1929 1,500
    1930 500
    1945 3,000
    1972 2,000
    1989 100

    1. From 1872 until 1989, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News periodically ran articles that concurrently reported the number of Chinese living in Detroit and their customs. Because many Chinese entered Detroit illegally and because the racial categories were still fairly limited to either “black” or “white” throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, U.S. Census data and Detroit City Directory entries do not accurately indicate the proportion of the population in Detroit that was of Chinese descent.

    2. The figures in this table represent men only until the years following 1910, when the first Chinese woman, “Rose Fang,” permanently settled in Detroit.
Table 2: Names1 and Addresses of Early Chinese Settlers in Detroit
    Source Date Name of Early Settler Address in Detroit
    Free Press February 5, 1873 Ah-Chee Gratiot street
    Lu-How Gratiot street
    Free Press December 20, 1873 Lung Sing
    Free Press December 20, 1874 Sam-Lee
    Mrs. Lee
    Free Press May 21, 1875 Lee-Sie Gratiot avenue
    Free Press January 25, 1876 Hop Lee Larned street
    Wong Ling Woodward avenue, just below Grand River avenue
    Lung Sing Larned street west
    Wah Hap Michigan avenue, west of Cass
    News May 18, 1878 Sam Lee (An Hoo Fang) Larned street, near Shelby
    Liyung-Heng
    Kong-Hui
    Hong-You
    Lung Sing
    Wah Hap (Yung-Ching) Michigan avenue, near Washington avenue
    Tern Gee (Hing Ching) Woodward avenue, near Gratiot avenue
    Hop-Sing Larned street, near Brush street
    Lung Sing Griswold street, near the water office
    Free Press July 17, 1879 Lung Sing
    Hop Sing
    Turn Gee
    Wah Hap
    George
    “Chinee man”
    Tribune August 12, 1886 Hang Chin Hong 147 Gratiot avenue
    Long Chung
    Sing Hong 148 Randolph street

    1. Names of early Chinese settlers are listed as they are mentioned in each document. Thus, the same name may appear more than once and may be accompanied by an alias in parentheses. The alignment of the aliases to the common names of the settlers was made explicit by reporters and no assumptions were made otherwise.
Table 3: Status of Early Chinese Settlers in Detroit
    Key:
    X=Status confirmed
    W=Worked as needed by different Chinese laundry owners

    Name Head Married Children English School Laundry Owner
    Ah-Chee X X
    Lu-How W
    Lung Sing X
    Sam Lee (An Hoo Fang) X X X X
    Lee Sie X
    Hop Lee X
    Wong Ling X
    Wah Hap (Yung Ching) X
    Liyung-Hung X
    Kong-Hui X
    Hong-You X
    Tern Gee (Hing Ching) X X
    George W
    “Chinee man” W
    Hang Chin Hong X X
    Long Chung
    Sing Hong X

    Source: Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and Detroit Tribune articles from 1873—1886.
Table 4: Detroit City Directory Checklist 1872—1880

Methodology
1) Find statistics for “Asians” or “Chinese” in the Municipal Record and Local Registrar.
2) Look up known names of early Chinese settlers in Detroit.
3) Locate the known street name or street address of the individual.
4) Browse the Business Directory for Chinese-owned businesses, using the keywords
    a. Chinese Grocers/Grocers
    b. Chinese Laundries/Laundries
    c. Chop Suey Restaurants/Restaurants
5) Seek advertisements for the above business categories.
    1872—1873
      • Ah-chee, Lu-How (n/a)
      • Street and Avenue Directory (n/a)
      • Business Directory (n/a)
    1873—1874
      • Ah-chee, Lu-How, Lung Sing, Sam-Lee (n/a)
      • Street and Avenue Directory (n/a)
      • Business Directory (n/a)
    1874—1875
      • Name Directory
      • Lung Sing (Chinese), laundry134 Griswold, h same (pg. 371 LUC, LUS)
      • Business Directory
      • Gee Fun, Chinese Laundry, 194 ½ Woodward ave. (See adv.)
      • Advertisements
      • Tun Gee, Chinese Laundry, 194 ½ Woodward Ave., DETROIT,---MICH. “Washing and Ironing Done in the very best manner.”
    1875—1876
      • Name Directory
      • Lee Samuel, Chinese Laundry, 58 Larned w, h same. (pg. 384 LEE, LEH)
      • Business Directory
      • Hap Wah, 91 Michigan ave.
      • Lee Sam (Chinese), 58 Larned w.
    1876—1877
      • Name Directory (n/a)
      • Business Directory
      • Lung Sing, 172 Griswold. (See adv.)
      • Advertisements
      • The Celebrated Chinese Laundry, Tun Gee, Proprietor. The Trade of Hotels and Boarding Houses Solicited. 172 Griswold Street,--DETROIT, MICH.
    1877
      • Name Directory
      • Lee Sam, laundry 56 Larned w, h same.
      • Sing Lung, Chinese laundry e s Griswold bet State and Michigan ave, h same.
      • Business Directory
      • Lee Sam, 58 Larned w.
      • Sing Lung, e s Griswold, bet State and Michigan ave.
    1878
      • Name Directory
      • Gee Tern (Chinese), laundry 194 Woodward ave, h same.
      • Lee Sam, Chinese laundry 58 Larned w, h same.
      • Sing Lung (Chinese), laundry 174 Griswold, h same.
      • Wah Hap, Chinese laundry 105 Michigan ave, h same.
      • Business Directory
      • Gee Tern (Chinese), 194 Woodward ave.
      • Lee Sam (Chinese), 58 Larned w.
      • Sing Lung, 174 Griswold.
    1879
      • Name Directory
      • Hap Wah (Chinese), laundry 55 Michigan avenue.
      • Sing Lung (Chinese), laundry 174 Griswold, h same.
      • Business Directory (n/a)
    1880
      • Name Directory (n/a)
      • Business Directory (n/a)
Table 5: Recipes

• Bates, Sharon (c. 1970) Beef Tenderloin w/ Pea Pods & Mushrooms. Personal Recipe.
• Bates, Sharon (c. 1960) Chop Suey. Personal Recipe.
• Bates, Sharon (c. 1970) Chow Mein Burgers. Personal Recipe.
• Bates, Sharon (c. 1970) Korean Salad. Personal Recipe.

• The Editors of Consumer Guide (1981) "Celestial Gold Chicken." Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook. New York: Beekman House. p 43.
• The Editors of Consumer Guide (1981) "Harvest Moon Pork." Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook. New York: Beekman House. p 83.
• The Editors of Consumer Guide (1981) "Shrimp Curry." Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook. New York: Beekman House. p 103.
• The Editors of Consumer Guide (1981) "Pan-Fried Shrimp." Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook. New York: Beekman House. p 106.
• The Editors of Consumer Guide (1981) "Pan-Fried Shrimp." Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook. New York: Beekman House.