Mtn . View Memories
Catli ’ s Oriental Market
Multicultural Flavor Purveyors in Silicon Valley , 1970 – 1980
By Bev Catli Manzano Special Guest Contributor
My parents Steve and Lily Catli started our family business , Catli ’ s Oriental Market in 1970 when I was 8 years old . It was in the new strip mall halfway between downtown Mountain View and the Moffett Field Naval Station on Moffett Boulevard . The market was the �irst of its kind in our area .
Our store stood out from other Asian markets in the vicinity because we sold specialty items used in Southeast- and South- Asian cuisine , including the fresh vegetables , fruits , and �ish you wouldn ’ t usually �ind under one roof ( except perhaps in San Francisco ). We carried everything from mangos , shrimp chips , rice noodles , sweet rice cakes , bok choy , lemon grass , cassava root , and grass jelly , to milk�ish . Some of these items may not sound that unusual today , but in the early 70s , they were not on the radar for most Americans . Especially coveted by our customers were the unique seasonings that provided their regional �lavor pro�iles , such as bagoong , sambal oelek , nuoc mam , and cardamom , to name a few .
In those years , the demographics were quickly shifting in America . The US Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 increased quotas , putting an end to earlier restrictions . The aim of the new law was to reunite immigrant families and attract more skilled labor into the country . That legislation — combined with the meteoric growth of the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley — amassed a multicultural melting pot in the Bay Area . Many people immigrated who �illed the ranks of tech companies , especially on the semiconductor assembly lines .
My parents are from the Philippines , which was a US territory in the �irst half of the 20th century . English is one of the two of�icial languages in the Philippines , and is taught in school . Because of the close tie between the two countries , Filipinos had an advantage in becoming citizens even prior to 1965 .
My dad worked in the pineapple and sugarcane plantations in Hawaii from 1946-1953 since there were very few job opportunities in the Philippines after World War II . He then joined the US Army , where he earned his path to citizenship . My mom traveled all the way from the Philippines to study at Columbia University , New York , on a scholarship . On her way back home after obtaining her Master ’ s Degree , she met my dad in 1955 in San Francisco , and they married after a brief courtship .
Our family eventually settled into a new home in Mountain View in 1965 . My parents saw the need for a grocery store
The exterior of Catli ’ s Oriental Market on Moffett Boulevard with the author ’ s sistes Mely and Perla and her cousins Albert , Lorna , and Tricia Catli .
where Filipinos like themselves could buy the foods that connected them to their tropical native lands . After opening their doors , the word spread , and soon we had customers from many other countries including Vietnam , Indonesia , Thailand , and India .
Catli ’ s Market became a bustling hub of the community that my mom also served with her real estate , insurance , and travel agencies , and notary public services . I worked in the store , along with my sisters Perla and Mely , and my brother Chris . The experience helped instill our sense of diligence and responsibility from an early age . Owning the store was my parents ’ American dream , to be self-employed , and to provide a taste of home and comfort to others who also came to this country from far away .
Our store created more exposure for Southeast- and South- Asian �lavors , which eventually became more widely accepted and even sought-after by the general public . Before 1970 , the restaurants around town were primarily American , Italian , Chinese , and Mexican . Diversity in local dining options began to increase when Mekong Restaurant , the �irst Vietnamese eatery in the South Bay opened in 1971 . We supplied ingredients for the popular and elegant Vietnamese-French fusion establishment that used to be on Castro Street .
One day , a Naval of�icer from Moffett Field came into our store asking if we could make lumpia , the Filipino style of eggroll , for their upcoming of�icers ’ club meeting . He and many of his
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