Across cultures, food is a shared experience that brings people together. For artist Feng-Feng Yeh, food also became a portal through a Wild West historical journey and a creative quest to learn more about Chinese chorizo in Arizona.
Yeh, who grew up in Tucson, spent 20 years working in New York City and then found herself back in the desert during the pandemic. As she adjusted to life back in the desert, she became fascinated with uncovering the hidden history of Chinese communities in Arizona, and Chinese chorizo, a local delicacy that not only enabled immigrants to survive, but thrive and build community.
In the mid-to-late 1800s, Chinese immigrants in search of a better life came to Arizona as part of the Gold Rush, seeking railroad-building and mining opportunities. They faced tremendous prejudice and violence, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882…