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.

There are number of push and pull factors that have contributed to the relocation of Chinese immigrants across the nation.