All this, as well as the faces of the people who rub shoulders on these hillside streets, seems intimately familiar to a visitor from Taiwan.
Here, in an area about one third of a square mile separate from China by the vast Pacific, the largest Chinese community outside Asia - 45,000 people - make their homes.
This is the San Francisco Chinatown, offspring of a happy marriage between oriental culture and western amenities, fascinating to occidental visitors and yet plainly faithful to the Chinese.
It is a town built by early Chinese settlers, with sweat, toil and, sometimes, bood. Now it is a land where annually one and a half million visitors gain a quick glance at one of the world's oldest civilizations carefully preserved in the heart of a western world.
Early Settlers
When the first Chinese set foot on this land of promise one century ago during the gold rush, there was no Chinatown. They came to a totally unknown world to meet a totally strange people.
Mystery still shrouds the legends as to who were the first Chinese to land on California. The honor could go to the unknown cabin-boy on the schooner "Bolivar" which sailed into San Francisco in 1838; or to a Cantonese merchant, Chum Ming, who reputedly came in 1847; or to the two nameless men and one woman brought in aboard the American brig "Eagle" in early 1848 from Hongkong. Any way, at the end of 1848, only seven Chinese were officially registered in California.
Whoever the first Chinese visitors might be, no large number of Chinese explorers came until after gold had been discovered in California in late 1848. Then they rushed over, lost in the dream of bringing back some day a big load of gold.
In 1849, a year after the discovery of gold, a small colony of about 700 Chinese had gathered around San Francisco, and more were on their way. In 1851, the number of Chinese in California rose to 12,000 and kept on soaring. During one time in 1852, as many as 2,000 arrived in two days.
Most laborers who came from Canton in the early 1850's by ships of the China trade went right ahead to the gold mines. Some remained behind in San Francisco, settling near the Portsmouth Square.
The first wave of Chinese immigrants consisted almost entirely of males. Census records showed that in 1849 there were 782 male Chinese, but only two female Chinese in California. Two years later the males increased to 12,000 but there were only seven females. The early settlers put up temporary sheds to shelter themselves. They were the founders of the old Chinatown in its crudest form. Because of the gold rush, they emotionally called the place the "Old Gold Mountain."
Quickly, the "Old Gold Mountain" attracted many more people from the land of Cathay across the Pacific, and the Chinese area of San Francisco began to spread out. Later as the situation stabilized, the men sent for their wives from China and formed families. Houses were built along dim alleys which went up hills, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. By the late 1850's, ten years after the first waves of Chinese landed, the old Chinatown had taken on a definite look, dark, uninviting, and yet truly Chinese.
Discord Sets In
The Americans in California at first looked at the people from Cathay with good humor and amused tolerance. And in many ways the Chinese proved themselves useful. The opening of Chinese wash houses, for instance, precipitated a welcome drop of washing fare from $8 to $3 per dozen shirts. Tales about diligent and dependable Chinese domestic help flew from one house to another.
But soon discord set in. Quite obviously, the Californians brooded, those Chinese were taking away some of their jobs and earning silver which could have gone into American pockets. In the mining districts, the feeling against the hardworking Chinese was particularly strong. Some mining districts did not hesitate to throw them out. In 1852, the first action was taken by California to discourage Chinese immigrants, and a special tax was imposed on them. Gangsters felt free to molest Chinese victims, who did not take the trouble of bringing the case against a white man to the law. There was violence and bloodshed. Some Chinese, scared by this sudden outburst of hostility, packed and went home. But the majority resolutely clung to their dream of gold, the lure being too great.
A soothing spot amidst the anti-Chinese surge was San Francisco, where the presence of Chinese seemed less resented. The city dwellers largely showed a peaceful inclination and tolerance. So more Chinese were gathered in San Francisco Chinatown, pursuing a hard-pressed life but keeping their chins up.
Pacific Railroad
When the tide appeared to have turned against the Chinese, it took an unexpected turn. What saved the Chinese from expulsion was the building of the Central Pacific Railroad, started in 1863. It was a gigantic task demanding such a large amount of unskilled labor as California was unable and reluctant to provide. As the road construction pushed on, the shortage of laborers became acute. In 1865, it became apparent that 5,000 workers were wanted immediately, and there was casual mentioning of hiring the Chinese. While the company was hesitating, the inevitable happened. Some Irishmen already employed for the railroad work grew disgruntled and went on strike. The company hesitated no more and 50 Chinese were hired. They did so well that 50 more were added. Before the railroad was completed, around 12,000 Chinese had contributed their share to the stupendous job.
The Chinese, calm, patient and hardworking, never complained about their wages. They never questioned the length of their working day. And soon they proved to be an asset of the Central Pacific in the race against the Union Pacific Railroad for mileage of track-laying. The race went on until the last spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869.
As the wild cheers for this monumental achievement died out, the question arose as to where to put those Chinese. By that time, partly due to the appreciation for their work, the racial antipathy against the Chinese was slowly melting away. With enough wages earned in six years of railroad construction, the Chinese were soon absorbed into California's expanding society. They dug wine caves, manned the early canneries, performed manual labor, still clinging around San Francisco Chinatown as their big home.
In the ensuing years, there were intermittent new attempts at expelling the Chinese. In 1882, after much outcry, a law was passed to prohibit the entry of Chinese laborers for ten years. The ban was extended for another ten years in 1892, and President Theodore Roosevelt later signed a law indefinitely prohibiting the entry of all Chinese.
These discriminatory laws, however, were later superseded by others along the thinking of racial harmony and equality. Slowly but surely, the door to American citizenship was opened to Chinese.
Chinatown Reborn
In those days the old Chinatown had none of the glamor that lends the Chinatown of today much of its attractiveness. It was a heap of brick houses, thrown up without planning along the cobbled narrow streets. They went both upwards and downwards, sinking deep into the slope land to form an intricate maze of subterranean passways. They housed laborers, miners and others who came from China in quest of adventure. Sometimes, unfortunately, the town provided a tragic setting for many a feudal scuffle, resulting in bloodshed and vengeance.
In all probability, the old bleak Chinatown would be still existing today but for the earthquake and the subsequent conflagration in 1906 that all but leveled the area. The earthquake was as violent as it was disastrous. When the Chinese climbed out of the debris to rebuild their homes, they took care to lay out a cleaner and nicer town for themselves. Under the direction of the San Francisco municipal government, straight streets were built to replace the narrow alleys, and solid buildings rose on Grant Avenue, now the heart of a re-born Chinatown.
The Californians showed great sympathy for the distressed Chinese in the wake of the earthquake. When the new Chinatown was built half a century after the first Chinese touched the land, San Francisco accepted it as an integral part of the city. The feeling epitomized in the word "Chinaman" of the 19th century was definitely a thing of the past. Bigotry, chauvinism and race riots of the olden days had died with the old Chinatown.
Assimilation
In due course of time, most Chinese residents of San Francisco Chinatown have acquired American citizenship, many by birth-right and others by legal procedures. It may be true that some Chinese still confine themselves within Chinatown and have never left the area in their whole life. There are still people who can speak nothing but Cantonese. But such extreme isolationists are becoming fewer.
In the melting pot of society, the younger generation of Chinatown have come to mix more and more with Americans. Chinese children go to the same schools with American youngsters. The kids of Chinatown love the same games that American boys take to. Language barriers no longer exist; the younger people of Chinese ancestry speak more English than Chinese. Their life has been Americanized, and as American citizens, they take a full part in the community activities of San Francisco.
The gulf that once separated the Chinese coolies and their American employers a century ago has now been bridged.
Chinese of American citizenship have the same rights and obligations as native Americans. Soldiers of Chinese descent fought bravely in World War II alongside Yankee GI's in defending their country. A Victory Hall now stands in Chinatown in commemoration of the Chinese boys who fell on the battlefield.
In all walks of life, the Chinese are now treated as equals. There is no discrimination against the Chinese as a minority. Talented men of Chinese blood find their way into the professions, contributing to San Francisco as physicians, lawyers, engineers, editors, architects, artists and professors. Others work in the local governmental service. The China town folks take a particular pride in the active role played by Chinese women in society. The best known career woman is Dorothy Gee, the manager of the Bank of America branch in Chinatown.
The thriving business of Chinatown is the main source of income to most families. Restaurants, laundries and stores are still among the most profitable as they were in former days. But new channels have been opened. Following the boom of tourist business, hotels, travel services and souvenir shops have sprung up. The annual inflow of visitors is bringing unprecedented prosperity to San Francisco Chinatown.
Real estate, another promising business, indicates the Chinese are taking a deeper root in Chinatown. Until 1941, only 25 per cent of the land in Chinatown was owned by Chinese because of the law prohibiting aliens from purchasing land. On the other hand, many Chinatown merchants used to buy land in China where they could return and spend the last years of their life. Now, as more Chinese have acquired American citizenship, about 80 per cent of Chinatown's land is owned by Chinese. Nobody is buying land in mainland China under the Communist rule.
Generally speaking, the Chinatown people are not keenly political-minded. Conscientiously exercising the rights to vote as they do, few have so far manifested enthusiasm to run for public offices, possibly because they see little chance of succeeding. However, the recent victory of Senator Hiram L. Fong, a Hawaii-born citizen of Chinese extraction, is a heartening event for the Chinese in San Francisco. It convinces them that the door to public service is open to all citizens no matter what are their blood ties or family background. Senator Fong's election seems to have aroused in San Francisco Chinatown such a keen interest in politics that some day the voice of the Chinese may be heard in the democratic machinery of California.
Family Tie
One force holding Chinatown's residents together is the strong family tie. To most Chinese, the family is still their center of life. It is the shrine where are preserved the traditional Chinese customs and culture no matter how far away the family happens to be from its motherland. In many a Chinese family in San Francisco, the visitor will find a shaded corner where the family pays reverence to ancestors on several occasions a year. Before the loss of mainland China, it had been the custom of many San Francisco Chinese to ship the remains of their family members back to China for burial. This is now made impossible.
The close family bonds are fully evidenced by the clan organizations in Chinatown. These clans were formed in the early days by families of the same surnames to function as a protective wing for themselves during those days of violence. Now they are more or less fraternity organizations, looking after the sick and the poor. The most famous of the clan organizations is the Chinese Six Companies, also known as the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. It attends to China town's own internal affairs.
The Chinese family, where the stern father and loving mother work in a perfect team in bringing up their children, has been accredited with keeping the youngsters from going astray. Records show that in San Francisco's juvenile offenses, almost no Chinese have been involved despite the fact that Chinatown is perched right on the edge of downtown San Francisco.
An unusual honor went to Chinese families in San Francisco in 1952 when Mrs. Toy Lee Chin Goon, mother of eight children, was elected American Mother for the year. A mother, and a bread earner since her husband died in 1940, the wrinkle-faced Mrs. Goon singlehandedly manned her laundry and sent all her children to college.
Tradition & Troubles
Though thousands of miles away from China, the San Francisco Chinatown has retained a strong Chinese color in its daily life. The people still use chopsticks instead of knives and forks, and they definitely like Chinese dishes best. Business transactions are computed on abacus, not on calculating machines. The traditional Chinese hospitality is the biggest asset of every shop. Many people still worship Buddha though more and more are going to church. In most instances, births, marriages and funerals are observed in the Chinese way.
Part of the Chinese tradition is preserved in the hilarious celebration of Chinese festivals. The biggest occasion, the Chinese New Year, is observed exactly in the same way as in China, perhaps with more fanfare. On the Chinese New Year's Eve, dragon and lion dancers roar and roll down Chinatown's streets, while people in Chinese costumes cheer the coming of another prosperous year amidst the din of firecrackers and gongs.
The Dragon Boat Festival is another typical Chinese day although it now usually passes without the traditional regatta. But the Mid-Autumn Festival is marked in the truly Chinese fashion, with mooncakes, family re-union dinners, and sacrificial ceremonies.
But lurking behind these cheers and gaieties, certain problems are causing occasional worry. The education of the younger generation is one. The children, born in the United States, are entitled and obliged to receive American education. But the parents would like to see their children know something about the history, language and culture of the land of their ancestors. So a number of Chinese schools, established decades ago, are offering Chinese extension courses.
However, the younger generation is evincing little enthusiasm for Chinese subjects, possibly because the language is difficult, or more likely, because they see no practical use of the venture. About 4,000 children are attending these extension schools, mostly upon the urging of their parents. This urging force may very likely die away in one or two generations.
Right now, the Chinatown has four Chinese language newspapers serving the adults. Few youngsters, who prefer the Americanized way of life, take the trouble of reading the Chinese dailies.
The loss of mainland China has also caused considerable loss of sleep on the Chinatown residents. Many of them still have relatives in mainland China, who used to depend on remittances from Chinatown for living. This flow of financial help has now been snapped by the Chinese Communists. The persecution of mainland relatives by the Communists has incurred the wrath of the Chinatown people. Sometimes, their relatives escaped from mainland China to Hongkong, but owing to immigration restrictions, not everyone could be admitted to the United States to join his family.
These are some of the dark clouds overhanging on a leaden sky.
The Future
There is, however, a bright ray of hope—the rising generation. The days of unskilled labor, with which their forbears created the Chinatown, are long over. In a land of fair competition, every opportunity is open to the young Chinese generation. It is up to them to grasp the opportunity when it knocks at their doors.
One is entitled to ask whether the traditional Chinese culture, hitherto unbrokenly treasured in Chinatown, may flicker out in the next generation or two.
The answer, if any, seems to lie in education. Only through a balanced education can the Chinatown youth keep alive the Chinese culture and march abreast with the advance of time.
The future is in their own hands.