Help us preserve heritage.

Only you can tell the story of these family’s immigration to America. We want to honor those who left their homeland in China to provide a better life for themselves and their families. The Chinese Historical Society will collect, preserve and document these stories for present and future generations before they are lost. We will share these stories with the public so that our contribution to Memphis and the Mid-South will be recognized.

Learn about Memphis’s “Chinatown.”

Populations of Chinese immigrants made their homes in Memphis, Tennessee as early as 1873. From the late 1800s into the 1900s, many of these Chinese earned their livlihoods by establishing small businesses in the way of laundry services, grocery stores and then restaurants in later decades. By studying these locations, we can get a better sense of the presence of the Chinese community and their contributions to the Memphis community over time.

Visit the sleeping souls in the South.

We can learn so much from the burial sites of Chinese in our local cemeteries. Take a visit with us to the sacred grounds of the Chinese sections of Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee and the Greenville Cemetery in Greenville, Mississippi as we reflect on the stories and contributions of those who have passed.