Quota restrictions limiting the immigration of Chinese women into the United States were lifted after World War II, and thus many Chinese men were finally able to reunite with their wives in America and bachelors began to bring women to the United States. In Eat a Bowl of Tea, Chinese-American Ben Loy (Wong) travels from New York City to China to find a bride (Miao). Once back in New York, tensions between tradition and modernity present challenges, and familial, monetary, and societal pressures strain the young couple’s marriage.