Day 355: Belleville Chinatown, Belleville, New Jersey

📌APIA Every Day (355) - Belleville’s old Chinatown, established in the late-19th century, was the first Chinese American settlement on the East Coast. Drawn to New Jersey by job opportunities and the hope of refuge from discrimination, Chinese immigrants made up more than 10% of Belleville’s population by the 1880s. Although much of the city’s original Chinese community has since faded away, remnants of this early history remain—most notably at the Iglesia La Senda Antigua cemetery.

In the 1860s, many Chinese immigrants arrived in the U.S. to work on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. As they settled on the West Coast, however, they encountered growing hostility and anti-Chinese sentiment. In 1870, Captain James Hervey invited a group of Chinese laborers to work at the Passaic Steam Laundry in Belleville. Seeking safety and stability, 68 Chinese men between the ages of 13 and 32 accepted the offer and arrived in Belleville on September 20.

The following year, in 1871, the town hosted the East Coast’s first Chinese New Year celebration. As the community continued to grow, Belleville became home to the region’s first Joss House, and three local churches helped found the Belleville Chinese Sabbath School. By 1882, the Chinese population in the city had reached over 300, with 32 families affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church—now known as Iglesia La Senda Antigua. Several early Chinese residents were later buried in the church’s cemetery. Over the next five years, however, the community gradually declined as many relocated to Newark and New York City.

In the decades that followed, the Iglesia La Senda Antigua fell into a state of disrepair and was completely abandoned in 1999. It wasn’t until the 2010s, when Pastor Mike Ortiz and his congregation began to restore the church, that the remains of the early Chinese residents resurfaced and were resettled. Following this development in 2016, a memorial was installed at the cemetery to commemorate Belleville’s historic Chinese community. The dedication ceremony drew over 100 attendees, including Chinese American community members and leaders. While no records specifying the buried individuals remain, the United Chinese American Association of New Jersey continues to hold annual ceremonies such as Qingming, a traditional tomb-sweeping festival, to properly honor them. Today, Belleville residents also still celebrate Chinese New Year each year, carrying on a tradition and legacy that began more than 150 years ago.

Written by Avneet Dhaliwal

LEARN MORE:

Montclair Girl: The Details of Belleville’s Chinese History

New Jersey Monthly: How Belleville Became the East Coast's First Chinese Community

Asian American Writers' Workshop: The First Chinatown on the East Coast

#apiaeveryday #chinese #chineseamerican #belleville #newjersey #transcontinentalrailroad #chinesenewyear #dutchreformedchurch #iglesialasendaantigua #pastormikeortiz #unitedchineseamericanassociationofnewjersey