Jeffrey G. Barlow

Ing Hay and Lung On were Chinese immigrants in the 1800s to John Day, Oregon. The authors tell of how these two men became an integral part not only of the Chinese community there, but of the white community as well. A rarity in those days. Ing Hay was a traditional Chinese herbalist who successfully treated many in the community, both white and Chinese, and had a wide territory to cover for his patients. In a time when many country doctors were not much beyond barbers and butchers, his knowledge and dedication saved many lives. Lung On was a successful businessman and important in the immigrant community for both patronage and as a go between in their interactions with the white community.

It is amazing to me that a place like the Kam Wah Chung Building, the center the two men operated out of, was found intact and full of the relics of the past years. It sat empty for over twenty years before the town discovered that they owned it and made it into a museum. Amazing that over 500 traditional herbs were found within and a slice of Chinese immigrant life preserved so well.

The proofreading of the text left something to be desired, and the flow of the narrative was a bit awkward, but I am glad to have the information within added to my knowledge of the settlement of this land.… (meer)

This is a fascinating look at two enterprising Chinese immigrants to the small gold-mining town of John Day, Oregon, in the late 19th century. At the time, Ing "Doc" Hay and Lung On were servicing a flourishing Chinatown with their general store and Chinese apothecary. (They also sold fireworks, booze, opium, and, later on, motorcars.) But as the gold veins dried up, the Chinese immigrants moved to bigger cities, and the two entrepreneurs ended up catering to the largely white settler population. For many years, Doc Hay was the only medical practitioner for many miles, and he often cured ailments that western medicine had given up as lost causes. "China Doctor" addresses issues like the gender imbalance in Chinatown and the West in general; Hay's diagnostic methods; and the complex and blatant racism toward and within the Chinese community in rural Oregon during the early part of the 20th century.

The general store that the two men ran was in operation until Hay's death in the 1960's, and is still intact and available to visit as a museum. The story of these two remarkable men is a very interesting read, both for their individual histories, and for the snapshot of cultural history it provides.… (meer)