The Sing Family in Austin
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in China as Jo Fung Sheng in 1860, Joe Sing immigrated to the U.S. around 1890 to financially support his family. He settled in Austin, becoming one of the first Chinese immigrants in the city. Sing opened Hong Lee Laundry on 311 W. 5th Street, which he ran along with his wife, Francis (Moreno), a Mexican-American woman who lost her U.S. citizenship for marrying a Chinese man. Joe Sing supported the Austin Chinese community by providing loans for other Chinese men, who found it difficult to procure funds otherwise because of discrimination. Joe and Francis had four children, including Margaret, who bought this property, becoming the first homeowner in the family.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in China in 1860, Joe Sing immigrated to the United States around 1890 to support his family and became one of Austin's first Chinese residents, opening the Hong Lee Laundry with his wife Francis, a Mexican-American woman who lost her U.S. citizenship simply for marrying him. Facing discrimination that shut Chinese men out of ordinary credit, Sing quietly financed loans that helped sustain the city's small Chinese community. His daughter Margaret later became the family's first homeowner on this property.
Why it matters
The Sings' story exposes both the harsh immigration and citizenship laws aimed at Asian Americans and the resilience of immigrant families who built community in the face of them.
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Related people
- · Joe Sing (Jo Fung Sheng)
- · Francis Moreno Sing
- · Margaret Sing
Themes & tags
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