San Francisco's Chinatown, (CA)

San Francisco_s Chinatown_the oldest, largest, and most famous Chinese enclave outside of Asia_is more than a tourist attraction. Since its birth in the 1850s, Chinatown has also been a residential neighborhood, business community, and cultural center for generations of Chinese Americans. This collection of vintage photographs, taken from public archives and private collections, looks beyond the facade of Chinatown to show the realities of daily life, including a community_s struggle for survival against racial hostility, exclusion laws, two major earthquakes, and urban renewal. The images of ordinary people working, shopping, and socializing in Chinatown, combined with the changing streetscape, historic landmarks, and significant cultural and political events, are organized into three historical periods, providing a panoramic view of community transformation from the gold rush to the present day.Chinese Historical Society of America is the author of 'San Francisco's Chinatown, (CA) ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780738531304 and ISBN 0738531308.