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Jan 5, 2023 · Waverly Place. One block west of Grant Avenue, between Washington and Sacramento streets, lies the soul of Chinatown, filled with painted balconies lined with lanterns. Waverly Place has been...
- Amy Copperman
- Freelance Writer
Nov 14, 2023 · Spanning 24 city blocks, Chinatown San Francisco is one of the centerpieces of Chinese American history and hosts the largest Chinese New Year parade in the country—that’s a must-add to your San Francisco bucket list. You can find some delicious food at local spots like Great Eastern or do some karaoke at Bow Bow.
The Chinatown centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, (Chinese: 唐人街; pinyin: tángrénjiē; Jyutping: tong4 jan4 gaai1) is the oldest Chinatown in North America and one of the largest Chinese enclaves outside Asia.
- Chinese Immigration to The United States
- Poverty and Prejudice: The Chinese Struggle For Acceptance
- The Chinese Exclusion Act
- The San Francisco Earthquake and Chinatown
- San Francisco’s Chinatown Today
Most of the early Chinese immigration to the United States can be traced to the mid-1800s. These early immigrants—some 25,000 in the 1850s alone—came seeking economic opportunity in America. The Chinese arriving in San Francisco, who came primarily from the Taishan and Zhongshan regions as well as Guangdong province of mainland China, did so at the...
As is the case with most immigrants, life in their new home was challenging for the hundreds of thousands of new Americans arriving from Asia, even as San Francisco became a hub of Chinese culture in the United States. Most of the immigrants coming from China were desperate to work—not only to survive but to send money to their families back home. ...
Unfortunately, anti-immigration fervor won out—at least for a time. In 1879, Congress passed its first piece of legislation aimed at limiting the flow Chinese immigration. However, the president at the time, Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican, vetoed the bill, as it still violated the Burlingame-Seward Treaty. With Democrats in the western states ve...
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and the fires that broke out across the city in its aftermath, did more harm to the Chinese community than any legislative action could, destroying thousands of homes and businesses in Chinatown. Many Chinese-Americans were also among the dead. However, the city’s birth and immigration records were also lost durin...
The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965further loosened restrictions on immigration and fostered yet another wave of immigration that followed the closure of Ellis Island in 1954. For many Chinese and other Asians, this presented a new opportunity to escape political oppression at home, and further bolstered the population of Chinatowns acro...
- 3 min
- The Chinese Historical Society Of America Museum Is Worth Your Time. The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum is a rich storehouse of Chinese-American history and culture in San Francisco.
- The Chinese Culture Center Showcases Contemporary Art. The mission of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, located inside the Hilton across from Portsmouth Square, is to give voice to the Chinese-American community through education and contemporary art.
- The Alleys Are Less Touristy. Step off the main streets of Chinatown to discover the daily life and rich history of this area. Chinatown Alleyway Tours offers guided tours focused on the struggles and triumphs of the Chinese-American community.
- Firecrackers Are Illegal In San Francisco. Traditionally, firecrackers were used to scare away evil spirits in Chinese culture. Legend had it that a monster called Nian would eat villagers and destroy their homes on New Year’s Eve, and the explosive sounds were thought to frighten them.
Nov 30, 2023 · Find so much to do in San Francisco's Chinatown, including fine dining, dim sum, local markets and cool shops
Because Chinatown is located next to Union Square, home to most of San Francisco’s hotels, many visitors simply walk through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue at Bush Street to get there. Chinatown also blends into North Beach, San Francisco’s charming Little Italy, and the Financial District.
