Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-20
CHINESE GIRLS SCORN
WRATH OF ANCESTORS
Daughters of Chinatown Nov
Work in Restaurants in Ameri-
can Fashion.

Americani1ed daughters Of New York
Cinnamon have tossed away the age-oid
bindings that benurnbcd their feet and
now are gathering caliuses IN uptown
restaurants, where Al Wattresses they
srnilingly and quietly scrve hungry multi
tudes Their nodernized brothers dare
the wrath of distinguished ancestors by
PLAYING fsntan t, the tune Of canned
music. Modernity has broken down the
customs Of New York's Chinatown.
"Secllsion for women has been the rule
Of China for centuries" says Lee To,
Baptist missionary At the Morning Star
Mission, IL Doycrs street, New York.
Many a Chinese woman ~ the old time
hss been known to hire a carriage to pay
a visit TO a friend Just scross the street,
and under no condition would she leave
her horne To do her marketing or venture
a ride IN street car fora holiday excursion.
Not long ago the first little Chinese girl
from the quarter went uptown " serve ~
vsaitress IN the Chinese room OF one Of the
biggest hotels Chinatown held It's
hreath IN horror At thrs defiance Of the
convention. Of centuries But the little
girl. An Hoo. was rnorr than pretty IN the
chry.antbernum embroidered costume she
wore. and when her earnings during the
first week, including tips, ran UP 70 us.
there vas a -nall sized revolution IN Peil
street.
Lee Chin, Who kept laundry on the
corner, heard Of it and the next day his
littla daughter vent with All Hoo. Today
many ~ The girls of nigh school A3e are
working uptown. Some Of them are
employed IN hotels, others are usbering
IN theatres and notion picture holses-
One of the best proofs Of the new China
town II the formation of boys brass
band IN connectson with the Morning
Star Miszion. which, with American lazz
and martial airs, is rapidly crowding out
the booming music Of the bull fiddle and
the melancholy notes Of the Chinese flute
both favorites of old China. Today p
Instruments are represented IN the band
and the idea is rapidly growing IN popu-
larity.
Th. Chinese have shown themselves
to have a fine scnsc Of rhythm, Lee 10
saws. and the band Is much IN demand
In one of the Liberty Loan parades the
bows In uniform marched up Fifth avenue
amid the piaudits of a large part OF the
quarter. and more recently the band was
one OF the CHIEF attractions of Chinatown :
welcome home parade To the l50 service
men who returned from overseas
Because big city temptation threatens
the coming generation OF Chinese youns
men and women a modern community
center. with dining hail, club rooms, IL
brarv. gymnasium and all that sort o.
thing will be erected N New York 10 IN
terpret America 20 the ChInaman snC
serve rs a common meeting ground iol
East and West. The building Will %
built bv the New World Movement o
Northern Baptists, which plans 20 rais'
100000 600 from April 25 70 May :
Lee To. who, together with represents
tives Of the Methodist denomination
has been preaching and working for year
70 break down the barriers OF O1enta
tradition, says that unless vigorous socia
and welfare work sre carried on China
towns young people sre apt to tnd th'
new American freedom dangerou
privilege.
Thirty years ago, he recalls, the China
man might be distinguished by his wide
sleeved coat and Tapping straw slippers
Today young men In American buslnes'
suits elevate leather shod feet 70 table
tops and tell each other they are made
over people. The Chinese boy who ha'
attended the public schools cannot under
stand the life his father hss led