This Day Fresno:
Chinatown Fresno Foundation



About Chinatown Fresno Foundation
When Fresno’s original settlers located along a new railroad line in the 1860s, many of them were Chinese, expert brick makers who began building a city. Soon, however, they were relocated to the west side of the tracks.
Racially segregated residential enclaves were common in California in the 19th century. Chinatown was established here around 1872. Most of the cultural and ethnic communities in Fresno got their start here.
West of the tracks became a lively, thriving and inclusive area that offered goods, services and entertainment day and night. Outcast immigrants from around the world lived in Chinatown. They were entrepreneurs who ran shops, hotels, theaters, restaurants, and service businesses. They were farmers of figs, grapes, cotton and wheat. From the late 1800s to the mid 1950s, Chinatown was a vibrant live-work play environment.
With urban renewal in the 1960s, Chinatown lost both businesses and residents. Historic buildings were demolished. Buildings became vacant. Vagrants began to congregate. Other attempts for improvement have been haphazard and poorly funded. Chinatown has suffered decades of neglect.

CVCF Blog
It’s Time to Reinvest in Southwest with St. Rest Community EDC
By Laura Ramos, Community Engagement Associate Saint Rest Baptist Church has maintained a footprint in the Fresno community for the last 75 years. They have become one of the largest and most recognized congregations serving Southwest Fresno families. The southwest...
At Home in the Lowell Neighborhood!
By Laura Ramos, Community Engagement Associate A couple of weeks ago, Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) staff took a trip to the Lowell Neighborhood for the Lowell Historic Home Tour. Visitors were welcomed into four unique and charming homes, all of which...
Chinatown Fresno Foundation Sees a Better Future for Chinatown
By Elisabeth Parra, CVCF Intern For as long as I can remember I have been told not to go the Chinatown alone. As someone who grew up going to church in the downtown area, I have never been one to shy away from the homeless people or to be afraid of the “rough”...
Live Again Brings Light to Parkway Drive Children
By Elisabeth Parra, CVCF Intern In 2012, Richard Burrell, founder and CEO of Live Again Fresno (LAF), and his wife Roxanne Burrell went to Parkway Drive and what they found touched their hearts and changed lives for years to come. When the Burrell’s first went to the...
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