The Chinese were a visible current in the tidal wave of humanity that rushed through San Francisco's Golden Gate in the mid-nineteenth century. Known to their countrymen as Gam Saan Haak (guests of Gold Mountain), Chinese immigrants sought great fortune. Most found only hostility and hard work, often braving the most dangerous and loathsome jobs. They endured violence and injustice, yet clung to this land with tenacity and patience and made it their own. With nearly 200 historic photographs gathered from notable collections, this book explores a century of Chinese progress in California. Retracing the immigrants' steps--from the gold fields to the high Sierra railroad camps, to lettuce fields and olive groves, and to the Monterey coast--we visit Chinese enclaves throughout the state. We linger in San Francisco's old Chinatown, home to cherished children and notorious tong gangs, where new arrivals first found refuge and familiar goods, and tourists later found exotic merchandise spilling from aging storefronts. These historic images recall a time when the Chinese community in California was still a world apart.

The Chinese were a visible current in the tidal wave of humanity that rushed through San Francisco’s Golden Gate in the mid-nineteenth century. Known to their countrymen as Gam Saan Haak (guests of Gold Mountain), Chinese immigrants sought great fortune. Most found only hostility and hard work, often braving the most dangerous and loathsome jobs. They endured violence and injustice, yet clung to this land with tenacity and patience and made it their own. With nearly 200 historic photographs gathered from notable collections, this book explores a century of Chinese progress in California. Retracing the immigrants’ steps—from the gold fields to the high Sierra railroad camps, to lettuce fields and olive groves, and to the Monterey coast—we visit Chinese enclaves throughout the state. We linger in San Francisco’s old Chinatown, home to cherished children and notorious tong gangs, where new arrivals first found refuge and familiar goods, and tourists later found exotic merchandise spilling from aging storefronts. These historic images recall a time when the Chinese community in California was still a world apart.

130 rare photos offer fascinating visual record of Chinatown before the great 1906 earthquake. Informative text traces history of Chinese in California.

The fertile Santa Clara Valley--once called the Valley of Heart's Delight and later Silicon Valley--has long been home to a substantial Chinese population. Like other immigrants, they arrived seeking opportunity and armed with survival instincts and the ability to persevere, but the struggles they faced were unique. From 1866 to 1931, five distinct Chinatowns existed in San Jose, each one devastated by mysterious fires or stifled by unjust laws. Early Chinese in the region labored relentlessly, building railroads and levees and toiling as laundrymen, grocers, cooks, servants, field hands, and factory workers. In the 20th century, new industries replaced agriculture, and an influx of Chinese invigorated the valley with innovative ideas, helping it emerge as a leader in technology.

An historical portrait of San Francisco is created through a view of the development of Chinatown from the era of immigration in the late 1800s through the years of World War II to the present- Amazon.

A collection of essays on contemporary and historical accounts of Chinese Americans in Southern California, from Santa Barbara in the north to Mexicali in the south.

By 1900, the Chinese population of Los Angeles City and County had grown to over 3,000 residents who were primarily situated around an enclave called Old Chinatown. When Old Chinatown was razed to build Union Station, Chinese business owners led by Peter SooHoo Sr. purchased land a few blocks north of downtown to build New Chinatown. Both New Chinatown and another enclave called China City opened in 1938, but China City ultimately closed down after a series of fires.

Stockton, referred to as Sam Fow by its Chinese community, was the third largest metropolitan area leading to the goldfields of California at the turn of the 20th century. The Chinese immigrants came from Kwangtung, China, to find their fortune, and instead found a series of restrictive laws aimed at keeping them from participating in the development of the burgeoning frontier town. Their story is here, in over 200 vintage images of community life and resilience. Despite legislation such as the Foreign Miners' taxes and the California Alien Land Act, and most recently the construction of the Crosstown Freeway combined with the redevelopment project that disseminated the heart of Chinatown, the Chinese of this area were major contributors to California and Stockton's economy. They have maintained a balance between their heritage of familial and religious obligations and western education and activities. Included are photographs dating from the late 1920s of traditional Chinese associations and more recent community activities. These images showcase once thriving businesses, educational and religious efforts, and familial milestones.

The Lonely Queue is an unprecedented history book which presents the vibrant and diverse contribution of the 150 years of Chinese Americans in the Greater Los Angeles area. It features bilingual text (English and Chinese) with hundreds of vintage photographs, and personal memories depicting the struggle of Chinese Americans making America their home. It uncovers many hidden and nearly forgotten historical accounts that have been absent from history books and the general public knowledge. The Los Angeles Times described it as a bilingual book that celebrates the Chinese American community of Southern California with the intimacy of a family album and the authority of a historical monograph. 2002 Clarion Award Winner in non-fiction book category 2001 Independent Publisher Book Award Finalist in multicultural non-fiction category