• 洗碗工没人干，华人老板急。纽约法拉盛一家中餐馆门口贴着招聘洗碗工，日薪180美元，来应聘的华人小伙一听要站满十小时，转身就走；隔壁墨西哥大叔二话不说填了表，第二天直接干到凌晨两点，老板数好现金当场递过去，脸上总算松了一口气。餐饮业缺人不是一天两天的事儿，美国劳工部的数据显示，2023年全美餐饮行业空缺岗位超过50万，创下历史新高。老板们咬着牙撑，最怕的就是好不容易招来人，干两天就跑路，厨房里堆满的盘子还是没人刷。

    Dishwashing jobs are unavailable, and the Chinese owner is anxious. A Chinese restaurant in Flushing, New York, posted a job posting for dishwashers, offering $180 a day. A young Chinese man who applied walked out when he heard he'd have to stand for ten hours. A Mexican man next door filled out a form without hesitation and worked until 2 a.m. the next day. The boss counted out the cash and handed it to him, finally letting out a sigh of relief. The restaurant industry's labor shortage hasn't been a one-time issue. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job vacancies in the U.S. restaurant industry exceeded 500,000 in 2023, a record high. Owners grit their teeth, fearing they'll hire someone only to leave after two days, leaving the kitchen piled high with dishes unwashed.

    法拉盛这地儿，华人新移民扎堆，过去不少人刚下飞机就直奔餐馆后厨，洗碗切菜啥都干。可现在情况变了，根据移民研究中心的统计，近五年华人新移民中，大学学历占比从20%涨到近40%，很多人宁愿挤在共享办公室里敲键盘，也不愿把手泡在油腻腻的洗碗池里。站一天腰酸背痛，回家衣服上全是腥味，谁乐意啊？反观墨西哥来的兄弟，很多人拖家带口，肩上扛着一家老小的生计。日薪180美元，干完当天就能拿钱，隔天寄回老家换成比索，能顶半个月的开销。这种活儿对他们来说，不是苦，是救命稻草。

    Flushing is a hub for recent Chinese immigrants. In the past, many would rush straight to restaurant kitchens after landing, doing everything from washing dishes to chopping vegetables. But things have changed. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the proportion of recent Chinese immigrants with a college degree has increased from 20% to nearly 40% over the past five years. Many would rather crammed into shared offices, banging away at keyboards, than dunk their hands in a greasy sink. Who wants to stand all day with a sore back and a fishy smell on their clothes? Meanwhile, many Mexican immigrants have families to support, shouldering the brunt of their burdens. They earn $180 a day, receive their wages the same day, and send them back home the next day, exchanging them for pesos to cover their expenses for half a month. For them, this kind of work isn't just hardship; it's a lifeline.

    餐馆老板也头大，有人嘴里骂着偏心眼，觉得华人老板更愿意雇墨西哥人。可谁算过账本？雇个合法工，多交一份社保和税，每个月至少多掏300美元，生意本来就薄利，哪禁得起这么折腾。现金日结虽然游走在灰色地带，但对双方都方便，老板省成本，工人拿现钱，彼此心照不宣。去年纽约州餐饮协会的报告里提到，全州近30%的中餐馆都面临招工难，超过一半的老板选择现金结算，就是为了留住人。

    Restaurant owners are also worried. Some accuse Chinese owners of favoritism, arguing that they prefer Mexicans. But who's actually done the math? Hiring a legal worker means paying an additional social security and taxes, which adds at least $300 a month. Businesses already operating at low margins can't afford such a tangle. While daily cash settlements operate in a gray area, they're convenient for both parties: the owner saves money, and the workers receive cash, a tacit understanding. Last year, a report from the New York State Restaurant Association stated that nearly 30% of Chinese restaurants in the state were struggling to recruit, and over half opted for cash settlements to retain employees.

    我认识个在法拉盛开餐馆的张叔，五十多岁了，天天自己站柜台，洗碗工跑了三个月没招到人。他跟我唠叨，年轻时他在广东老家种地，晒得跟炭似的，到了美国从洗碗干起，手指头泡得发白才攒下第一桶金。现在的小年轻，手机一滑就是短视频，个个想当网红，谁还愿意低头刷盘子？张叔叹气说，前天有个墨西哥小伙来干活，凌晨一点厨房里还在叮叮当当洗锅，干完活接过钱，咧嘴一笑就走了。那一刻，张叔说自己眼眶都有点热。

    I know a man named Uncle Zhang who owns a restaurant in Flushing. He's in his fifties and works behind the counter every day. He's been looking for dishwashers for three months but hasn't been able to find one. He told me how, when he was young, he farmed in his hometown of Guangdong, where his crops burned like charcoal. He started out washing dishes in the US, soaking his fingers until they turned white before he finally earned his first fortune. Young people these days are so busy scrolling through their phones watching short videos, and everyone wants to be an internet celebrity. Who's willing to just sit back and wash dishes? Uncle Zhang sighed and said, "The day before yesterday, a young Mexican guy came in to work. He was still clanging pots in the kitchen at 1 a.m., then he finished his job, took the money, grinned, and left." At that moment, Uncle Zhang said his eyes welled up.

    其实想想，啥工作不是从脏累开始？十年前我在外地打工，第一个月在小饭店端盘子，脚底板磨出水泡，晚上躺床上腿肚子直抽筋，可工资到手那一刻，心里踏实得像揣了块砖。岗位这东西，就像街头的公交车，站那儿等你几分钟，你不上就开走了，后面的人挤破头也要上。有人嫌洗碗工苦，可你问问那些凌晨两点还在刷盘子的墨西哥大叔，他们图啥？不就是图个机会，能让家里人吃饱穿暖。

    Think about it, what job doesn't start out dirty and tiring? Ten years ago, I worked out of town. My first month, I waited tables in a small restaurant. My feet blistered, and my calves cramped at night. But the moment my paycheck arrived, I felt a sense of relief. Jobs are like buses: they wait for you for a few minutes, and if you don't get on, it's gone, and everyone behind you is scrambling to get on. Some people complain about the hardship of dishwashers, but ask those Mexican uncles still washing dishes at 2 a.m.: what are they looking for? Just a chance to feed and clothe their families.

    前阵子刷到个视频，法拉盛街头有个华人小伙，大学毕业找不到对口工作，硬着头皮去餐馆试了几天洗碗。头两天手被热水烫得通红，差点想撂挑子，可咬牙撑下来，月底拿了4000多美元，愣是比他同学坐办公室拿得还多。他说，累是真累，但钱揣兜里比啥都香。现在他一边干活一边攒钱，打算过两年自己盘个小店。听完这话，我挺佩服，弯下腰去干，地板也能变成跳板，垫高你的人生。

    A while ago, I saw a video of a young Chinese man on the streets of Flushing. After graduating from college and unable to find a suitable job, he bravely tried washing dishes in a restaurant for a few days. His hands burned red from the hot water during the first two days, and he almost wanted to quit. But he persevered and, by the end of the month, had earned over $4,000—more than his classmates working in offices. He said it was exhausting, but money in his pocket was more precious than anything else. He's now saving money while working, and plans to open his own small business in two years. Hearing this, I was impressed. If you bend down and work, even the floor can become a springboard, elevating your life.

    再说回餐馆老板，生意不好做，人工成本年年涨，纽约最低时薪2023年已经到15美元，算上加班和杂七杂八的费用，洗碗工一天180美元其实不算高。可对很多新移民来说，这活儿门槛低，不用啥技术，肯吃苦就能站住脚。墨西哥大叔们不挑，华人小伙们嫌累，差别就在这儿。不是说谁高谁低，纯粹是选择不同。有人愿意从底层一步步爬，有人想直接跳到半山腰，可半山腰的风更大，站不稳照样摔下来。

    Back to the restaurant owner. Business is tough, labor costs are rising year after year, and New York City's minimum wage will reach $15 an hour by 2023. Taking into account overtime and other miscellaneous expenses, $180 a day for dishwashers isn't exactly a high wage. But for many new immigrants, this job offers a low barrier to entry, requiring no skills, and a willingness to endure hardship can make them a success. Mexican uncles aren't picky, while Chinese young men find it tiring. That's the difference. It's not about who's superior or inferior; it's simply a matter of choice. Some are willing to climb from the bottom, while others want to jump straight to the middle, but the winds are stronger there, and if they lose their balance, they'll fall.

    那天晚上我路过法拉盛那家中餐馆，玻璃门上招聘启事还在，里面灯光昏黄，后厨传来哗啦啦的水声。估计又是哪个大叔在埋头苦干，手指泡得发皱，衣服湿透贴在背上。看着这一幕，我突然想起老家那句话，干活不丢人，丢人的是啥都不干还挑三拣四。想吃饱饭，总得先把手弄脏。世道就这样，位置永远留给肯干的人，管你是哪国人，啥背景，只要你不怕累，厨房里总有你一席之地。

    That evening, I passed by the Chinese restaurant in Flushing. The job posting was still on the glass door. Inside, the lights were dim, and the sound of water splashing could be heard from the kitchen. I guessed another man was toiling away, his fingers wrinkled from soaking, his clothes sticking to his back through the soaking. Watching this scene, I suddenly remembered a saying from my hometown: There's nothing shameful about working; what's shameful is not doing anything and being picky. If you want to eat, you have to get your hands dirty first. That's the way things are in the world: positions always go to those who are willing to work hard. No matter your nationality or background, as long as you're not afraid of hard work, there's always a place for you in the kitchen.