Day 179: China Alley, Hanford, California
📌APIA Every Day (179) - China Alley in Hanford, California, is a historic district established in the 1870s during the expansion of the Southern Pacific Railroad. As the railroad extended through the area, many Chinese laborers arrived to work on the railway and later on the farms. These immigrants primarily came from the Sam Yup region in Guangdong province, consisting of the three counties of Namhoi, Poonyu, and Shuntak. Initially, the community provided essential services and labor for the burgeoning town of Hanford, which was rapidly developing in California’s Central Valley.
The Chinese community in Hanford faced segregation and discrimination but still managed to create a vibrant and self-sufficient ethnic neighborhood known as China Alley. This area soon included a wide range of establishments, such as homes, restaurants, boarding houses, general merchandise stores, herb shops, groceries, laundries, gambling establishments, a Chinese school, and the Kwan Tai Temple, which was constructed in 1882. Over the years, China Alley became a bustling "city within a city," where residents maintained their cultural traditions and businesses. Despite the challenges posed by segregation and local ordinances, the Chinese community managed to thrive and sustain their unique cultural identity within Hanford. The population of China Alley began to decline during World War II, as many residents moved away or integrated into broader American society.
In the 1970s, the China Alley Preservation Society (CAPS) was formed to address the deteriorating condition of the Taoist Temple and other historic buildings. The society’s efforts led to the cleaning, research, and curation of the Taoist Temple Museum, which opened in 1982. In 2011, China Alley was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to threats from disuse, deferred maintenance, water damage, and vandalism. Although a fire in 2021 heavily damaged the Taoist Temple Museum, restoration efforts are ongoing. Today, the preservation of China Alley continues to highlight the historical and cultural significance of this Chinese American experience in California.
LEARN MORE:
The China Project: Hanford’s China Alley: A historic Chinatown in rural America
Google Arts & Culture: The Collective Memories of Hanford California's China Alley
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