Chinese Immigrants in California's San Joaquin Valley

The Origins of the San Joaquin Valley Name

The San Joaquin Valley, California, acquired its name in a notable manner documented in Spanish historical records. A Spanish Army Lieutenant, Gabriel Moraga, accidentally ventured into this unknown territory while searching for suitable land for potential Spanish missions. During his journey, he came across a small creek, which he named "Saint Joachim," in reference to Saint Joachim — the father of Mary, the Virgin mother of Jesus Christ. In Spanish, "Saint Joachim" became "San Joaquin," and the river near the creek thus came to be known as the San Joaquin River. In time, the entire central valley came to bear the same name. (How the Valle Got Its Name, 2000)

Chinese Immigration and the California Gold Rush

The Chinese immigrants who chose the United States as their new home did so for reasons largely similar to those of European immigrants of the same era. China was experiencing severe hardship around the middle of the nineteenth century. Famine and poverty drove people to seek employment and a better standard of living abroad. America appeared to be a land of opportunity where they could work and send money back to their impoverished families — an appeal fueled in large part by the California Gold Rush. (Angel Island)

The San Joaquin Valley was particularly rich in gold deposits. As one historical account notes, "The Mojave gold deposit in Kern County was one of the only major gold depositories in the San Joaquin Valley… All of the mines in the Mojave-Rosamond area had more than $5,000 of gold each; some having more than $1,000,000 of gold." This abundance attracted a great number of treasure seekers, including many Chinese. Due to the difficult conditions back home, a significant number chose to remain in the San Joaquin Valley and farm rather than return to China. As one source records, "The United States was known as 'Gum San,' or Gold Mountain." (A History of the Chinese-Americans in California)

Discrimination and Legal Exclusion

When Chinese immigrants became a permanent presence in the United States, they were initially welcomed — but primarily because cheap labor was in desperate demand. As economic conditions worsened, that welcome gave way to open discrimination. (Angel Island)

Examples of discrimination against the Chinese are numerous throughout Chinese-American history. As early as 1862, only a few years after the main influx of Chinese immigration had begun, Congress passed a law restricting American vessels from transporting Chinese immigrants to the United States. Twenty years later, an even more sweeping discriminatory measure was enacted: the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Its preamble read:

Forty-Seventh Congress, Session I. 1882, Chapter 126, Preamble: "Whereas, in the opinion of the Government of the United States the coming of Chinese laborers to this country endangers the good order of certain localities within the territory thereof." (Angel Island)

This law effectively forbade Chinese people from entering the United States unless they could prove existing family connections. What made this measure especially striking was that, at the time, no other ethnic or national group was being subjected to such formal, codified legal discrimination. (Angel Island)

Settlement, Community, and Cultural Life

Despite the significant obstacles they faced, early Chinese immigrants managed to establish meaningful lives in America. The majority had entered through the port of San Francisco and settled throughout California. Stockton was one town that attracted a particularly large Chinese population. As Wong (2003) writes in an account of his visit: "The Chinese in Northern California called San Francisco the 'First Port,' Sacramento the 'Second Port,' and Stockton the 'Third Port.'" These three cities thus became the primary centers of Chinese immigrant life in California.

Far from remaining on the margins, Chinese immigrants actively participated in political, social, and religious life. A Chinese-American community took shape, with Taoism as the predominant religion and regular religious gatherings. When President Zachary Taylor died, Chinese immigrants actively participated in his funeral procession. When California was admitted to the Union, they celebrated; the 1852 Fourth of July Parade in San Francisco included prominent members of the Chinese-American community. (A History of Chinese-Americans in California)

The cultural contributions of Chinese Americans were substantial. Living in an unfamiliar country, they wove their own traditions into daily life, giving rise to a distinctive cultural blend. The Chinese lunar New Year was celebrated throughout California wherever Chinese immigrants settled in significant numbers. Chinese culture's rich tradition of opera, music, and literature also found expression in the new world: San Francisco's American Theatre on Sansome Street hosted the first performance of Cantonese opera in 1852, and within months the first dedicated Chinese theatre building was completed. Religious life was not neglected either — Chinese temples began to be constructed, with the King Chow Temple, believed to have been built around 1853, standing as the first. Chinese-language print media soon followed: two Chinese-language newspapers began publishing in 1854 and 1855. (A History of Chinese-Americans in California)