Chinese Gold: The Chinese Of Monterey Bay

In the 1850's, when the California Gold Rush was on, thousands of Chinese immigrated to the U.S., which they called the "Land of the Golden Mountain." In 1882, the U.S. passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which forbade further Chinese immigration, and wasn't repealed until 1943. This is the story of the Chinese who settled in the Monterey Bay community in California. By the 1870's some half a dozen Chinese towns had sprung up in the Monterey area, where the people made a living running laundries, gambling houses, farms, and fisheries--where the art of drying squid was perfected. Using stills from the early days, supplemented by present day interviews, a rich portrait of Chinese cultures, traditions, and compromises in the new land is drawn. We meet Sam Chinn, the last Chinese farmer in the Monterey Bay area; Don Yee, a restaurateur; Margaret Lam, a businesswoman who talks about Chinese marriage customs; and hear a wide range of stories both funny and sad. Recommended for larger school and public libraries. (Available from: One West Media, P.O. Box 5766, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5766.)