Chinese Associations and the Food Business
The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association, or On Leong association, was founded in Providence in 1911, and provided support for those who wanted to start a business, especially restaurants. They helped new restaurant owners get equipment and capital for their fledgling business, but also played a role in preventing inter-Chinese competition by persuading new restaurant owners to choose locations far enough away from existing Chinese businesses in order to prevent disputes. The On Leong association also hosted an annual Chinese New Year's party and a summer picnic while it was based in downtown Providence; it continues to do the former from its current base on Pontiac Avenue in southern Providence. One interviewee described these events as the only times each year when the Chinese American community (or at least the business community) would get together as a group, rather than just within families.
As new immigrants came to Rhode Island, and more new restaurant owners appeared, the provided support through mentorship and existing data on the "relative strengths" of different locations and different cuisines based on traffic counts and the availability of certain cooks. New immigrants sometimes joined the On Leong association as members, and one interviewee who arrived in Providence in the 1980s eventually became an executive of the association. Furthermore, another interviewee who took over a restaurant in the late 2000s also commented that they had received advice from members of the On Leong association. However, an executive of the association also noted that the On Leong association was becoming less and less effective at providing support for new immigrants because of a lack of personnel, and that it was increasingly becoming more like a private club for the older generation of Chinese businesspeople to play mahjong and see friends.
The Rhode Island Association of Chinese Americans, or RIACA for short, was founded later in the 20th century, and initially involved On Leong association members as part of their executive board. They have since taken on the mantle of the annual summer picnic, and also provide food safety certification courses in Mandarin as well as a host of other newcomer services. The food safety certification courses allow many new immigrants who do not have strong English skills to become certified and be legally able to open a restaurant. A central aspect of RIACA's work is the RIACA scholarship granted to graduating high school students of Chinese heritage who are also RIACA members.
