Part 3: A Unique Cultural Place:
Exclusion & Cultural Incubator: Enclave and Safe Haven.
On may 6 1882, Congress passed the first Chinese Exclusion Act, renewed repeatedly with ever larger majorities and extended indefinitely in 1904, prohibiting Chinese laborers from entering the country. For the first and only time in US history, legislation was enacted to exclude a specific nationality from immigration. From a peak of more than 125,000 Chinese in America, the number dwindled to 61,000 in 1920. From 1881 through 1900, the Chinese population of San Francisco dropped from 26,000 residents to merely 11,000.
Nevertheless, within a confined geographical area, Chinatown developed a confined Chinese-American society , making the most of limited means–unique to its time place. In the 1885 San Francisco Municipal Reports’ Official Map of Chinatown, Chinese-owned businesses occupied the area bordered by Broadway, Kearny, Sacramento, Stockton Streets. In 1889, Rudyard Kipling described Chinatown as “a ward of the city of Canton.” In the 1890s, photographer Arnold Genthe popularized his “Canton of the West” with black/white photographs of exotic adventurism, bustling streets and poetic beauty. San Francisco’s Chinatown became the safe haven.
While originally a refueling station for Chinese scattered throughout the region, Chinatown became increasingly a segregated enclave–where flourished a fertile societal, cultural, and economic incubator. In 1877,economic unrest led to sandlot rallies, cries of “The Chinese Must Go!” and mobs descending on Chinatown for mayhem and murder. With rising land values and the burgeoning financial district, Chinatown’s property became highly coveted .Prior to 1906, plans were hatched to move Chinatown to a bayside exotic “village”. Local newspapers editorialized in favor of moving the Chinese.
Shaking Chinatown’s Foundation: The 1906 Great Earthquake
At 5:13 am, Wednesday April 18, 1906, the Great Quake of 47 seconds razed Chinatown to rubble and smoldering ashes. Of the estimated 14,000 population in densely packed blocks, actual deaths are unknown. After the fire, the city government established the Subcomittee on Relocation the Chinese. Chinatown’s real estate was increasingly lucrative for downtown commercial interests. On Sunday, April 22, remaining Chinatown residents were moved to a North Beach camp. The historical hostility toward Chinese before the quake intensified during the days following the quake.
Meanwhile, the city officials discussed where to relocate Chinatown, without consulting Chinese residents or merchants. First, it was decided that Hunter’s Point would be the new location–mud flats on the southern outskirts of the city. That plan was challenged because the city would lose substantial taxes, likely to adjacent municipalities, which Chinese paid into city’s coffers. Presidio golf course –possibly a permanent Chinatown location. But Presidio residents protested and the few remaining Chinese refugees were moved to far reaches of the Presidio. Meanwhile, Chinatown was being looted with no police or military protection. The mistreatment of the San Francisco Chinese reached such unashamed magnitudes that Los Angeles’ city officials offered them a new home. But amidst all the controversy, the few Chinese-Chinatown landowners had already begun reconstruction.
Chinatown: Perseverance and Resiliency: The Rebuilding of a Community.
Stiff resistance from the Chinese Consulate, the fear of losing China trade/tax revenues and quick action on the part of leading Chinese merchants led to the rebuilding of Chinatown in its original location. American-born entrepreneur Look Tin Eli took the lead in creating the pseudo-Chinese façade that would become Chinatown’s distinctive landmark and defining imagery. At the northwest corner of Grant Avenue & California Street, he hired Ross and Bungren, Architects and Engineers, to design the 1910 Sing Chong Bazaar instructing them to make it look “emphatically oriental”. They placed a majestic pagoda tower on top of the four story building, decorating the exterior with Chinese colors and motifs. Merchant Tong Bong followed Tin Eli’ s lead and had Ross & Bungren design the 1915 Sing Fat Bazaar across the street , with a pagoda tower and dragon trademarks. At Grant Avenue’s south end, the two corner buildings served as gateways to the new Oriental City. An architectural palette was established: Stately Edwardian architecture decorated with Chinese symbolism, color, balconies and rooflines Chinese-America, and it was good for business too.
Chinatown Resurgence
Having destroyed all US Customs immigration records, the 1906 Earthquake and Fire led to some growth in Chinatown’s population. An intricate underground network of false papers was to grown out of the ashes. Making claims of US citizenship, thousands of Chinese who were in the United States when the fire occurred ,would apply to bring their sons and/or families from China. Chinatown eventually became more family-oriented, as police and community intervention curbed opium smuggling, slave-girl traffic and gambling. Between 1921and 1926 alone, the population of Chinatown increased by 7,000. When the US declared war against Japan on December 8, 1941, China became a trusted ally. The Chinese were now portrayed as heroic people united with Americans, battling a common foe. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation repealing the Exclusion Act, and more importantly, enabling Chinese
Eligibility for US citizenship. The exclusion Acts had effectively reduced the Chinese population. By 1940 they were only one half of one percent of California’s population–compared to 10% in 1880.
The 1946 War Brides Act permitted wives of Chinese-American men to enter the US as non-quota immigrants. Before the Act’s expiration at the end of 1949, eight thousand Chinese entered the United States. The 1960’s civil rights movement stimulated an equitable immigration policy in 1965, when Asian countries were given quotas comparable to that of European countries. During the 1960’s 30,000 Chinese entered through San Francisco. By 1970 there were over 40,000 people living in Chinatown’s 42 blocks, a density rate of 885/1 persons per acre–ten times the city average.
Final Memories
We need to form a long-range vision emphasizing sound principles of urban design and planning. When funding and opportunities are limited, design options need to be prioritized to maximize the best catalytic ripple effects on future neighborhood patterns.
San Francisco’s Chinatown, America’s first Chinatown encompassing the largest Chinese population outside of Asia, was founded by descendants from China’s Pearl River Delta. In 1848, at the start of the Gold Rush and the birth of the City of San Francisco, the first 780 Chinese immigrants began a journey that has continued to the present day. The spirit of cultural journey and interchange must be institutionalized in the architectural and urban design icons that we leave.
This is the last of three articles on San Francisco’s Chinatown. As stated at the beginning of the series, Howard Wong (AIA) was the main author. He is Co-chair of A Better Chinatown Tomorrow (ABCT) a community-based coalition dedicated to promoting the historical roots, architectural beauty, cultural vitality and economic vibrancy that expresses the unique character of Chinatown, San Francisco. Along with ABCT Founder and Co-Chair Wilma Pang, ABCT has sponsored dumpling festivals, zhongse-making events, Chinese New Years Celebrations, Chinese calligraphy, music, dragon boat parties, dragon parades, lion dancing on Chinatown’s streets and advocated streets for Chinatown’s economic interests.
2009 Xmas Dinner
As mentioned in the last Newsletter, the annual Xmas holiday was held at Pat’s Note on Meeting of 9 December at PAT’s Café on 9 December 2009. It was attended by some 26 persons. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Many members do not attend any of the meetings and hence do not meet any other members of NBN. If you happen to be one of those, you may want to attend an Xmas dinner affair. They are fun. It is always held in a North Beach restaurant, and most of the time within walking distance. We look forward to seeing you at the next event.
Note on meeting 11 January 2010: This meeting was concerned mainly with the tour bus industry the North Beach area. It is a vital part of a very important industry in the city and that business is catering to the to the tourist-the visitors who come to San Francisco to see San Francisco.
Neighborhoods and Districts in San Francisco.
We all live in certain districts in San Francisco and within those districts, particular neighborhoods. A few of the best known are: Russia Hill. San Francisco’s steepest street is located here. The block of Filbert Street between Leavenworth and Hyde (31.5 percent grade). Jack Kerouac started three of his major works, including “On the Road” at a cottage near Hyde & Union streets. By all accounts, San Francisco was not prepared for the discovery of gold in the Sierra foothills. Shortly after the discovery in 1848, the city grew virtually overnight. While fewer than 500 people lived here in 1847, just five years later the city had about 35,000 residents.
That phenomenal growth left little time for thoughtful city planning around the steep hills and newcomers plopped tents and houses wherever they could. Later, the invention of the cable car would make it more enjoyable to love atop San Francisco’s hills.
Chinatown: The neighborhood known for sellingT-shirts to tourists and lychees to locals was once the home of California’s first public school. Back then, Portsmouth Square was the center of town long before Yerba Buena Cove was filled in and became what is now the Financial District.
Nob Hill: Many fascinating stories surround Nob Hill, which was once the home of each of the Big Four: Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, and Mark Hopkins. The corner of California and Powell streets is the only place where the city’s cable car lines intersect, forcing operators to drop a cable and expertly pick it back up to avoid a collision.
North Beach: This area was once part of the infamous and seedy Barbary Coast, later a thriving neighborhood of Italians, and eventually a haunt of Beat poets. The North Face mountaineering outfitter started here with a small shop in 1966.
