http://yourstory.tenement.org/artifacts/egg-tart

The egg tart is one of my favorite foods that can be labeled as “Chinese food.” I’m not a huge fan of “Chinese food,” or maybe more accurately, “Americanized Chinese food,” the takeout food from Chinese restaurants these days. The egg tart also represents my family’s immigration story quite well, since it represents both countries my family originates from. My maternal side is from Hong Kong, while my paternal side is from China. It is believed that the egg tart originated from Guangzhou, China in the 1920s, before being introduced to Hong Kong. My mother came to America in the mid-1980s. Her first job was in a jewelry office, where she worked for four years before passing the U.S. Postal Exam. She then began working as a clerk in the general post office in Manhattan in 1993, and now has 23 years of experience in the post office. My father came to America in the late 1970s. Since my father was only a teenager at the time, he went to school when he arrived in America. He had to begin learning English in seventh grade, which was completely out of his comfort zone, and totally new for him. After finishing high school, he immediately began working. His first job was at a takeout restaurant in New Jersey. Later on, he passed the U.S. Postal Exam, and began working in post offices in 1989, now with 27 years of experience. My father met my mother through my aunt (my mom’s sister), who was working in the same post office as my father at the time.