On January 5 and January 8, a Monday and a Thursday, we visited one of the most crowded stretches of Brooklyn Chinatown—Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park. It was a unique experience.
On the street and in shops, we heard people speaking Chinese dialects we could not understand. We were among Chinese, yet we did not feel that we belonged. There is something that we shared but that didn't lead to a shared reality.
One detail stood out immediately: cash. Far more people paid with cash here than anywhere else we had been. Some stores don’t accept credit cards at all. This reminded me of an old acquaintance in Kansas, who worked long hours in a Chinese restaurant and was paid half by check, half in cash.
In one store that did accept credit cards, the cashier asked to see our official ID to confirm that the name matched the card. This is the first time that I see this level of verification. In another, an employee stood on a high stool, surveying the entire store. She must trust her own eyes more than the surveillant cameras.
At one point, a store owner told us they accepted EBT—Electronic Benefit Transfer. It was the first time we had heard of it. We had to do some research to know what it means. Perhaps many customers used it here. Or perhaps we looked like one of those in need of government assistance.
At one shop, we noticed bags of dried shrimp. We had just bought some elsewhere, but I asked about the price out of curiosity. The seller said, “Five dollars a bag.” The price sounded reasonable, and out of courtesy, we decided to buy one. But when we handed her five dollars, she said calmly, “It’s ten dollars a bag.” We were stunned and decided not to buy it. She looked very displeased.
As we walked away, we replayed the moment. “I’m sure she said five,” I said. “That’s what I heard, too,” came the reply.
The question lingered: why did the price change after we agreed to buy? Perhaps some people find it hard to say no once they already say yes, and simply swallow the extra cost to avoid upsetting the seller or avoid discomfort or confrontation. The seller may have been counting on this type of people.
In a bakery store operated by some young girls, they accept Apple Pay. When we used it, the girl looked genuinely impressed—and praised us for being “vanguard.”
Later, I learned that Brooklyn’s Chinatown is shaped largely by immigrants from Fujian Province, China, especially the Fuzhou region. Their dialects, migration histories, and experiences differ greatly from those of northern Chinese like us. Perhaps there are other factors that made us feel different—of social background, education, and the ways people adapt in a new country.