Chinese in San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley

by Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, Lillian Gong-Guy, Gerrye Wong

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738547770
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/15/2007
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,130,740
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

This exceptional story is told through compelling images from personal collections and institutional photographic archives under the auspices of the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project (CHCP), whose founders, Lillian Gong-Guy and Gerrye Wong, are the principal authors of this book. The CHCP built the replica Ng Shing Gung temple as a Chinese American museum, which was gifted to the City of San Jose in 1991. For over two decades, Gong-Guy and Wong have been dedicated to CHCP's vision of sharing the history and achievements of Chinese Americans throughout the valley.