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    The Chinese Community of Stockton
    The Chinese Community of Stockton
    The Chinese Community of Stockton
    Ebook210 pages1 hour

    The Chinese Community of Stockton

    By Sylvia Sun Minnick

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    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateMar 19, 2002
    ISBN9781439613672
    The Chinese Community of Stockton
    Author

    Sylvia Sun Minnick

    Author of SANFOW: The San Joaquin Chinese Legacy, Sylvia Sun Minnick is recognized for her lectures and articles on California's Chinese-American history. A former Stockton City Council member and community activist, she is a member of several Chinese-American organizations throughout the state.

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      Book preview

      The Chinese Community of Stockton - Sylvia Sun Minnick

      him.

      INTRODUCTION

      The Chinese from Kwangtung, China, looked forward to arriving in San Francisco, the main port of entry to the California gold fields. To them the big city was called Dai Fow. Hurrying to try their luck in the goldfields, they headed for the next largest city, Sacramento, entry to the Northern Mother Lode mines. Based on her size, that city was commonly known as Yee Fow, or City #2. And, in sequential order, the third metropolitan area was Sam Fow, referring to Stockton, lying on the San Joaquin River and serving as the gateway to the Southern Mother Lode.

      The macro history of the Chinese experience from the Gold Rush period of 1849 to the mid-20th century is pockmarked with anti-Chinese sentiments and ensuing negative legislation at the national, state, and local levels. The Foreign Miners Tax in 1852 and the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Law are two major examples in the 19th Century. Even in the last century, passage of the California Alien Land Act of 1913 demonstrated efforts to block Chinese as well as other Asians from owning property. Local laws stymied the Chinese from becoming equal participants in the larger community life. Ordinances constraining activities in laundry, fishing, peddling goods, and even having sufficient air space in bedrooms were directly enacted to make life difficult for the Chinese. It is not until more recent times that scholars, economists, and policy makers have come to realize that in spite of the active anti-Chinese movements and legislation, the Chinese were major contributors to California’s economy. From gold mining to building the transcontinental railroad and feeder lines, to reclaiming delta islands and utilizing their fertile land for agriculture, time and time again, the Chinese displayed their skills and perseverance.

      The Chinese appeared so different in culture and society that they were considered a disadvantaged group. Their strong ethnic ties, sense of familial obligations, and the psychological drive to preserve face assured their survival, appearance and physical description notwithstanding. Wisely, strong religious influences and personal convictions that instilled emotional and spiritual strength helped to meet and strengthen their resolve. The added critical psychological attachment to face, the absolute necessity of maintaining, at all costs, one’s esteem, image, and family honor before the world bonded families and community into a singular vision—that of being Chinese in heritage and American in citizenship.

      The Stockton Chinese, not unlike other Chinese Americans, evolved through their parents’ old world upbringing to utilizing modern medical recommendations. As children they balanced Chinese school with that of western education and activities. They trekked to the cemetery and paid homage to deceased relatives during Ching Ming and Cheung Yeung, the bi-annual Chinese memorial days. Many became devout Christians and married in the western style in churches and white wedding gowns but later celebrated the occasion with traditional Chinese banquets. As early as World War I, the Stockton Chinese joined the war efforts. Fundraising to help Chinese in China during the Japanese invasion in the 1930s brought forth outstanding patriotic efforts. Stockton Chinese alone raised over $400,000 for the China effort. Their energy was boundless.

      In time, most communities paid tribute to their pioneers and leaders. Certainly, the individuals thus recognized were praised for their keen sense of business, their ability to establish and shape local societies, and their desire to build charitable and fellowship organizations so that their community survived and thrived. It is in this context that this story of the Chinese in Stockton is told. One that demonstrates the achievement of sojourners turned immigrant entrepreneurs; of pioneers and their legacy; of illiterates whose descendants became civic leaders and policymakers.

      The Stockton Chinese story goes beyond the expected. It chronicles a group whose geographic home in Chinatown was physically ripped apart under the guise of redevelopment and the construction of the Crosstown Freeway. It was a pogrom that dislocated a people. The literal foundation of their homes, businesses, association headquarters, hangouts, playgrounds, and churches gave way to bulldozers in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

      Some 30-plus years have passed. Gloriously, the people’s resilience and optimism gave purpose to the second and third generations to rebuild—concentrating less on physical structures or relocation and focusing instead on the internal needs of the community at large. With advanced education many became professionals or entered careers in upper management. Some became civic leaders and even founded new organizations to serve the senior population. Still others promoted a renewal of interest in Chinese song and dance and other forms of physical therapy and entertainment. Some left the confines of Stockton and made their way into other communities, including the entertainment field. Reunions brought them back, time and time again, knowing that the early familial and community bonds were still strong.

      The Stockton Chinese Community, small in comparison to major cities, is similar to other Chinese community valley towns. Jimmy Lam, a well-respected business leader and known for his love of football, once was asked the secret to his success. He replied with his motto, Forward, Ever; Backward, Never. This same sense of purpose holds true for his fellow Stocktonians.

      One

      EARLY HISTORY

      The push-pull factors that drew the Chinese from Kwangtung Province to California’s gold hills included natural, economic, and social upheavals coupled with the dreams of gold and increased family fortune. In March of 1850, a newspaper article mentioned that 100 Chinese passed through Stockton headed for the gold fields. The 1850 census data for San Joaquin County listed 53 Chinese men, but no Chinese women, in the population.

      This map shows the major provinces of China and selected districts within Guangdong Province.

      From San Francisco the gold miner chose Sacramento or Stockton as his inland port city, depending on his choice of the northern or southern mines. Both cities served as the supply centers between the gold mining foothill communities and the Bay Area metropolis.

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