Day 270: Chinatown, Salt Lake City, Utah
📌APIA Every Day (270) - Salt Lake City's original Chinatown, known as Plum Alley, emerged in the 1860s between First and Second South, near present-day Regent Street. The neighborhood took shape as Chinese railroad workers, who had played a critical role in constructing the transcontinental railroad, moved south following its completion in 1869. Due to restrictive federal laws and social barriers, the population was predominantly male, as Chinese women faced significant challenges immigrating.
Plum Alley grew into a bustling business district, home to laundries, grocery stores, and restaurants. Two key institutions anchored the community: the Joss House, a religious center established in 1895, and the Bing Kong Tong, which offered social services, job placement, and legal assistance. Leadership within the community was well-defined, with figures like Chin Quan Chan (known as Chin Chin), the unofficial "mayor," who owned much of the Chinese-occupied property in the area.
However, the community faced significant challenges. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and subsequent immigration restrictions severely curtailed the population's growth. During the Great Depression, economic hardships forced many Chinese businesses to close, prompting residents to relocate, many to California in search of better opportunities. By 1940, the last major tenement in Plum Alley was abandoned, and in 1952, the entire area was demolished to make way for a parking lot. Salt Lake City’s Chinese population remained small until after exclusion laws were repealed in the 1940s.
Today, Salt Lake City's current Chinatown, located at 3390 South State Street and opened in 2014, bears no direct connection to the historic Plum Alley community. This 5.7-acre complex includes the Chinatown Supermarket, retail spaces, and restaurants. While the Bing Kong Tong continues to function as a social organization for Chinese residents, it no longer operates from its historic location.
LEARN MORE:
Intermountain Histories: Salt Lake’s Forgotten Chinatown
Life Utah Elevated: Gateway to Tradition: Exploring Salt Lake Chinatown
Issuu: Utah's Chinatowns: The Development and Decline of Extinct Ethnic Enclaves
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