The Daily Tar Heel

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Friday June 2nd

Food


Kevin Wang, age 36 and owner of the Jade Palace restaurant, takes a customer's order on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. 

A look at immigration through Chapel Hill's Chinese restaurants

David Yu, owner of Gourtmet Kingdom, and Kevin Wang, owner of Jade Palace, share their experiences of working in the restaurant industry as Chinese immigrants. They remember what it felt like to work when they first moved here, and they also recall the ongoing tension between balancing authenticity in the cuisine they provide to customers. Wang said he knew his choices were limited as a first-generation immigrant. “What else can I do? What else can we do?” he said. “People like me don’t have enough certificates of education. We can only work in Chinese restaurants. But it’s not bad, someone will have to do these jobs.”

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