Chinese Immigrants and Their Impact on the Central Valley

Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation.  All rights reserved. Photographed in 1900, the Quong Shun Wo Store in Fresno’s China Alley is decorated for Chinese New Year. Following the arrival of the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1870s, many Chinese laborers settled in Fresno after track construction ended. By the 1880s, a thriving Chinatown had emerged just west of downtown, serving as a vital cultural and commercial hub for Chinese immigrants and their families.

The historic town of Hanford, renowned for its famous ice cream, is also home to one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, known as China Alley. What was once a hub of activity and culture, China Alley has been listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s most endangered places.

Preserving Chinatown communities and the impact they had on multiple immigrant groups in the Central Valley helps us remember our shared history, a history that continues to shape us. 

Chinese immigrants first arrived in California’s Central Valley during the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. War and famine left the economy of southeastern China in shambles, and people came to the Valley hoping for a better life. What they found was a complicated mix of prosperity and oppression.  

Although opportunities abounded, the Chinese would be held back by discriminatory laws and practices. They successfully mined for gold around the San Joaquin River until the 1850 Foreign Miners Tax forced them out. Many went on to become merchants and business owners. Chinese immigrants were also instrumental in building railroads, irrigation canals and levees. They became farmers and grew figs, grapes, cotton and wheat. 

Unfortunately, many times these contributions were met with hostility that dictated where Chinese immigrants could live, work, and own land. In the late 19^th century, the Central Pacific Railroad even formed a physical barrier, separating the mostly white East from the West, where Fresno’s Chinatown grew and thrived. It happened again in the 1960s, when Highway 99 was built through Chinatown, destroying homes and businesses and displacing residents. 

Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation.  All rights reserved. Photographed in downtown Fresno in 1880, this image captures a Chinese dragon dance in Fresno’s Chinatown. In Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes power, dignity, wisdom, and good fortune and was historically associated with the emperor himself. Traditionally performed by seven to nine dancers, with an additional performer carrying the “pearl of wisdom,” the dragon follows the guiding sphere toward knowledge, truth, and enlightenment.

Despite these setbacks, Chinese immigrants found ways to thrive. They preserved traditions to keep their culture alive in their new home as they helped build the Central Valley through their hard work. 

Today, Fresno’s Chinatown is waiting for a different train. The California High Speed Rail Authority has pledged millions of dollars to build a station in the neighborhood. With entrances on both the Chinatown and downtown sides, supporters hope the high-speed rail stop will reunite and revitalize the two areas. 

Learn more about the history of the Chinese community in the Central Valley by visiting the Fresno City and County Historical Society and Chinatown Fresno History websites.

This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative to help mark 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone as well as this special place we call home. To learn more, visit us at centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.

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