My white in laws live in Rockford and every time they out me and my wife at their shitty shack in Rockford they want to take me out to the numerous Chinese restaurants in Rockford despite the fact that I am a Korean. The amazing thing I observe whenever they take me is that I am like the only Asian face outside of the owners of these bad Chinese Kitchens and that there are so many Chinese eateries in Rockford, Illinois. Rockford is a typical rural backwater, aging, post-industrial city that has had few immigrants from China. Unlike Madison Wisconsin or a Milwaukee, which can draw on bigger student and immigrant populations, Rockford is a weird place to have so many Chinese take outs and modest size sit down eateries. The demographics of it like many mid-city America has changed dramatically over the years as minorities have moved in large numbers. The one thing I have noticed is that Asians tend not to follow or settle near Mexican and Black areas outside of the left coast and Rockford is few in Asian numbers I believe, though I heard they had some large refugee population settle some decades ago. A town like Rockford though is a town people tend to move out quickly including refugees and only the poorest of the peons of certain Mexican areas would really think Rockford a step up and the American dream.
As far as the Chinese restaurants in Rockford, they are all in decrepit old small buildings that have hosted many failed business over the years. Most of these places undoubtedly the Chinese owners got on the cheap and run them cheap as the food is pretty awful. This is the Chinese food that you would find way outside of Beijing and Shanghai upscale areas in China and most likely nearer the center of China. To these owners Rockford is a major improvement and likely the reason they resettled in Rockford getting the business on the dime. Clearly they were pulled out to Rock county and no where near the expensive strip of Chinatown or more luxury suburbs who prefer higher end fast casual spots and have no room for Chinese Kitchens.
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