Above: Entrance to Forgotten Chinatowns of Northern California.
By Marika Garcia
On September 7, 2024, the Chinese American Museum of Northern California in Marysville opened its latest exhibit Forgotten Chinatowns of Northern California and accompanying public programs with support from California Humanities through a Humanities for All Quick Grant.
Now on permanent display, the exhibit showcases the background and history from ten locations of historic Chinatowns throughout Northern California including Auburn, Fiddletown, Folsom, Hanford, Mendocino, Red Bluff, Sacramento, San Jose, and Stockton.
Representatives from all ten sites were at the opening reception and each gave presentations on the importance of the preservation of their unique Chinatowns, the history of Chinese settlement, the growth of their respective Chinese American communities, and the need for resources to maintain preservation of historic sites and public programming. Through these presentations, it was notable that several sites experienced disruption and displacement from repeated histories of burning, bulldozing, or “moving” of Chinatowns which disbanded social and political unity within Chinese American communities. Despite these challenges, the perseverance and dedication of volunteer groups, descendants, and community leaders has kept these would-be-forgotten Chinatowns as relevant sites within present day towns and cities.
A lecture by community historian David Lei, “Preserving Chinese American History: A Pain in the Butt” detailed the extensive efforts by historians, curators, and volunteers to document the arrival and settlement of Chinese immigrants throughout California. One hundred and fifteen people attended the ten presentations and lecture, and even though there was only sitting room for sixty, everyone stayed until the end of the program.
Overall, this project clearly demonstrated a lot of collaboration among ten mostly volunteer-run groups and organizations whose mutual goals aim to preserve, enhance, celebrate, and educate the public on the existence and importance of Chinatowns within their respective communities.
There were moments where younger volunteers (under the age of 50) encouraged other groups who were seeking participation from younger generations, to allow and enable younger folks to steer projects, events, and initiatives that they wanted and created, and not just assign volunteers to existing events or established projects.
The exhibit is housed in the Chinese American Museum of Northern California’s newest space, which is the historic Suey Sing Society building in Marysville’s Historic Chinatown (303 1st Street).
The Museum is open the first Saturday of each month from 12-3 pm.
Read more:
New Exhibit on Display at the Chinese American Museum in Marysville (Appeal Democrat)
Northern California’s Chinese History on Display (Appeal Democrat)
