Oakland's Chinatown

by William Wong

Book Overview

Oakland's Chinatown has a history every bit as compelling as its more famous neighbor across San Francisco Bay. Chinese have been a presence in Oakland since the 1850s, bringing with them a rich and complex tradition that survived legalized discrimination that lingered until the 1950s. Once confined to a small area of downtown where restaurants stir-fried, laundries steamed, and vegetable stands crowded the sidewalks, Chinese gradually moved out into...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738529257
• ISBN13: 9780738529257
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.5" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Oakland Chinatown

Oakland's Chinatown is a beautiful photo album edited by William Wong, a native son. It is a memory lane journey back to the 150 years in this East Bay town. The book started with a comprehensive introduction on the development, movement and evolution followed by six chapters of different topics. This book is a big community family album for the last 150 years. It documents the evolution of Chinese settlement in Oakland into today's robust Chinatown. The Oakland Chinese were tough minded in finding gold by working hard among prejudice, bias and discrimination. They survived the "Chinese Must Go" hostility. With determination, they established Oakland as home to nurture so many into national prominence. Understanding the history of struggle serves as a strong motivation for many to be active in American politics. William makes this struggle a honorable memory.