California's Chinese Heritage


Book Description

Exploring the Chinese contribution to Californian society, approximately 1,100 entries list sites of historical or cultural significance. The book is arranged by region and by county, with sites listed in alphabetical order. Special attention is drawn to place names, street orientation, the cemetery and Feng Shui, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, levels of official recognition, Ch'ing Ming, the Tree of Heaven, and the changing of names or the naming of unnamed places. McDannold taught geography for over 25 years, and has served as president of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR




Heritage of China


Book Description

The thirteen essays in this volume, all by experts in the field of Chinese studies, reflect the diversity of approaches scholars follow in the study of China's past. Together they reveal the depth and vitality of Chinese civilization and demonstrate how an understanding of traditional China can enrich and broaden our own contemporary worldview.




The Chinese Community of Stockton


Book Description

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.




A Legacy Magnified


Book Description

A Legacy Magnified: A Generation of Chinese Americans in Southern California, 1980's-2010's is a monumental publication jointly authored by a team of renowned group of writers consisting of 17 chapters, nearly 1 million words, and more than 1,300 photographs, many of which are collected from historical archives. It is an unprecedented endeavor undertaken by more than 500 volunteers who were privileged to have witnessed the drastic and amazing transformation of Chinese American communities in Southern California during the critical three decades, from the 1980's to the 2010's. This handsome volume encompasses an historical account of multifarious realms of community development, including various aspects of culture, history, political participation, economic growth, businesses, education, language, sports, mass media, science and technology, scholarly research, literature, music, dance, theatre and other performing arts, among other subjects. This book is substantial, and is dedicated to "All Chinese of past, present, and future generations who contribute to the world culture by incorporating the quintessence of Chinese civilization and their heritage."




The First Suburban Chinatown


Book Description

Ethnicity issues fuel internal strife as a community faces change.




On Gold Mountain


Book Description

When she was a girl, Lisa See spent summers in the cool, dark recesses of her family`s antiques store in Los Angeles' Chinatown. There, her grandmother and great-aunt told her intriguing, colourful stories about their family`s past - stories of missionaries, concubines, tong wars, glamorous nightclubs, and the determined struggle to triumph over racist laws and discrimination. They spoke of how Lisa`s great-great-grandfather emigrated from his Chinese village to the United States, and how his son followed him. As an adult, See spent fives years collecting the details of her family`s remarkable history. She interviewd nearly one hundred relatives and pored over documents at the National Archives, the immigration office, and in countless attics, basements, and closets for the initmate nuances of her ancestors` lives. The result is a vivid, sweeping family portriat that is att once particular and universal, telling the story not only of one family, but of the Chinese people in America - and of America itself, a country that both welcomes and reviles its immigrants like no other culture in the world.




Gold Country's Last Chinatown: Marysville, California


Book Description

Marysville's Chinatown is the last remaining of thirty such communities built in California's Gold Country during the gold rush. Home to one of the oldest operating Taoist temples in California, this region's rich history includes a visit from Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the first president of the Republic of China. For more than 150 years, the Chinese in Marysville have celebrated the Bok Kai Festival, and it's now the only place in America where people can experience the firing of the bombs and the mad dash to catch one of the good luck rings. Join authors Lawrence Tom and Brian Tom as they share the stories of the resolute Marysville Chinese and their pioneer forebears.




The Human Tradition in California


Book Description

With a land mass one and half times larger than the United Kingdom, a population of more than thirty million, and an economy that would rank sixth among world nations, the history of the state of California demands a closer look. The Human Tradition in California captures the region's rich history and diversity, taking readers into the daily lives of ordinary Californians at key moments in time. These brief biographies show how individual people and communities have influenced the broad social, cultural, political and economic forces that have shaped California history from the pre-mission period through the late-twentieth century. In personalizing California's history, this engaging new book brings the Golden State to life. About the Editors Clark Davis has written extensively about California and its colorful history. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Pacific Historical Review. He is a professor of history at California State University, Fullerton. David Igler is a long-time historian of California history and culture. He has presented for the Western Historical Association, the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association, and the California Studies Association. Dr. Igler is professor of history at the University of Utah.




The Chinese Six Companies


Book Description