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166519
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Format: Transcript
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Oral History
Jack Song and Mary Song
Place
Scottsdale
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Citation for this item
ARIZONA MEMORY PROJECT
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Jack Song and Mary Song Oral History, Transcript
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Descriptive
Part Of
Jack Song and Mary Song Oral History
Transcriber
Anna Quan Leon
Contributor
Scottsdale Public Library
Interviewee
Jack Song
Song, Mary
Description
Jack and Mary Song were restaurant owners in Scottsdale, Arizona. Jack Song was born in Chandler, Arizona in 1929 and moved to Scottsdale before he was a year old. He talks about growing up in Scottsdale, the schools he attended, and being the only Chinese family in the neighborhood. In 1952 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and given only three options: clerk/typist, truck driver or cook—he choose cook. In the 1960's Mr. Song opened China Lil's, one of the first Chinese restaurants in Scottsdale. He talks about other restaurants in Scottsdale and the people who ran them. Mr. Song discusses Scottsdale's redevelopment and the removal of the Scottsdale barrio. In the 1980's he opened a bar and jazz club, J Chew & Co. in downtown Scottsdale. Mr. and Mrs. Song talk about the many performers who visited. Mary Song was born and raised in San Francisco and moved to Scottsdale in the 1980s. In the postscript Mrs. Song talks about the history of China Lil's and what became of it after it closed.
Browse Topic
Art and Creative Works
Business and Industry
Community Groups
Land, Environment, and Natural Resources
Military and War
Race and Ethnicity
Subject
Scottsdale (Ariz.)--History
Chinese Americans--Arizona--Biography
Chinese restaurants--Arizona--Scottsdale
Bars (Drinking establishments)--Arizona--Scottsdale
Jazz musicians
Date Original
2011-01-27
Date Range
1930s (1930-1939)
1940s (1940-1949)
1950s (1950-1959)
1960s (1960-1969)
1970s (1970-1979)
1980s (1980-1989)
1990s (1990-1999)
2000s (2000-2009)
2010s (2010-2019)
Type
Text
Original Format
Transcripts
Language
English
Contributing Institution
State Archives- Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records
Collection
Capturing Arizona's Stories
Rights Statement
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records retains all copyright, title, literary property right, and interest in and to the interview.
Geographic
City or Town
Scottsdale
County
Maricopa County
State
Arizona
Country
United States
Related
Oral History
Jack Song and Mary Song
Place
Scottsdale
Administrative
Identifier
SongJM01272011.pdf
Date Digitized
1905-07-05
Digital Format
PDF
Jack Song and Mary Song Oral History, Transcript
, [SongJM01272011.pdf]. Arizona Memory Project, accessed 09/06/2023, https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/166519