The Sing Family in Austin

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Sing family in Austin. Now settle in, because this one's got more layers than a good brisket. His name at birth was Jo Fung Sheng, born in China in 1860.

By the time he arrived in the United States — around 1890 — he was going by Joe Sing, and he had one clear purpose: to financially support his family back home. He set his sights on Austin, Texas, and in doing so became one of the first Chinese immigrants in that city. Think about that for a second.

One of the first. He wasn't following a trail somebody else had blazed. He was making one.

Joe opened Hong Lee Laundry at 311 West Fifth Street. That was his foothold, his stake in the ground, his daily proof that he belonged right where he was. And running that laundry alongside him was his wife, Francis — born Francis Moreno — a Mexican-American woman with roots and history of her own.

But here's where the story takes a turn that ought to make you grip the steering wheel a little tighter: when Francis married Joe Sing, she lost her United States citizenship. Not because of anything she did wrong. Because of who she loved.

The law at the time stripped it right from her, just like that. Now Joe Sing could've kept his head down, worked his laundry, and called it enough. But that wasn't the measure of the man.

Other Chinese men in Austin were finding it nearly impossible to get loans — discrimination saw to that. So Joe Sing stepped in. He provided those loans himself, becoming a quiet cornerstone of the Austin Chinese community.

He didn't have to do it. He did it anyway. Joe and Francis built a life together and raised four children.

And one of those children — their daughter Margaret — she's the one who closes this story with something that feels like a door finally swinging open instead of shut. Margaret bought the property. First homeowner in the entire Sing family.

Started with a man who crossed an ocean to take care of his people. Ended with his daughter putting her name on a piece of Texas ground. The Sing family left a mark on Austin long before any marker said so.

What the marker says

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.