How were asians treated during the civil rights era. Did they have to sit at the colored only areas too? Did they rally with the blacks to end segregation?

There was a sizable Chinese community in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow period. Asians in Mississippi were technically classified as "colored," and thus were only allowed to use the "colored" accommodations (water fountains, etc.). There were several segregated Chinese only schools. Many Chinese Mississippians opened grocery and general stores to serve black customers (something most white store owners were unwilling to do) and many became quite prosperous. These stores became safe gathering places for the black communities in these Delta towns.

By the 1950s, they were almost considered "white" and most of the segregated Chinese schools had closed and Chinese children attended white schools. The community accomplished this ingratiating themselves to the white community. They became Christians and gave money to white institutions like local churches and the Citizens Councils. They also had to carefully walk the line between pleasing whites and angering blacks since the black community made up the bulk of their customers.

During the Great Migration of blacks out of the Delta during the 1960s and 70s, many of the Chinese Mississippians left as well due to a shrinking customer base and their still "not quite first class" citizenship in Mississippi. While they went to the same schools, stores, and restaurants as whites by the 1950s and 60s, it was still taboo for Asians and whites to date or marry and they were almost universally kept from living in "white neighborhoods."

Outside of the Chinese experience, the Mississippi Delta as a whole has had an extremely interesting ethnic history having substantial numbers of immigrant groups settling there. Communities of Chinese, Jewish, Syrian, Lebanese, Italian, and Mexicans settled there and some of these families remain today. One of the quintessential foods in the delta today is the hot tamale, brought to the region by Mexican immigrants.