What could the clandestine manufacture of rice wine tell readers about New York? A lot it turns out in the New York Times story Sale of Illegal Wine Thrives in Chinese Enclaves.
This is yet another story the Times has derived by mining information from the Census, or from a tip from people who are reading those stories. Readers–and you–will learn about immigrants from China, the way they live, their cultural patters and the ins and outs of alcoholic beverages. As aspiring journalists, note how deeply this story was reported.
Greg, thanks for sharing this article. As someone who has worked as a journalist in Asia, I enjoyed it and agree that the reporting was deep enough. I’m not sure it would served the story well to have touched on this, but I think the production of rice wine fits into a broader trend among some immigrants, especially those from places where markets are or were historically tightly controlled, to establish underground economies (even if they do thrive in the light of day, as Semple and Singer note of rice wine sales in Fujian).
I found that even amidst market liberalization in Vietnam, underground economies persisted in Ho Chi Minh City. So it’s fascinating to read about these economies essentially being exported to the U.S., even as foreign governments and the agents of free trade regulations attempt tie up these unruly, unregulated threads abroad. I’d be interested to explore how these hidden economies function in New York. Despite abetting illegal activities, they also sustain cultural bonds among immigrants.