AREQUIPA, Peru – Locke, a small city in the California delta, has attracted waves of immigrants over the years. However, it stands out among the vineyards and farms for being the only settlement in the United States developed by and for the Chinese people.
Locke’s main street looks more like an alley. The settlement, which in its heyday had schools, a cinema hall, hotels and restaurants, is now home to museums including a former Chinese school, boarding houses, gaming halls and men’s associations. Visiting Locke offers a fascinating insight into the lives of Chinese immigrants and their cultural influence on North America.
A report of the BBC Mundo notes that when news of the California gold rush reached China in 1848, thousands of Chinese prospectors flocked to the Sierra foothills hoping to strike it rich. California, known as Gam Saan or “Golden Mountain,” brought them initial success, but they soon faced resentment and violence from other miners.
In 1850, California imposed a heavy tax on foreign miners, targeting mainly Chinese prospectors, who also suffered violent attacks. As a result, many sought other opportunities, such as farming and the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The Swamp and Overflow Law of 1861 allowed swampy lands in the Delta to be drained, attracting immigrants from Guangdong, experts in drainage and dike construction. These Chinese workers reclaimed 88,000 acres of land between 1860 and 1880, transforming the region into an agricultural powerhouse.
Despite not owning the land, the Chinese took pride in their work and knowledge, coming from the Pearl River Delta. However, they faced backlash from Americans who accused them of taking their jobs, leading to the enactment of discriminatory laws that severely restricted their rights.
Beginning in 1872, California passed a series of laws prohibiting Chinese from owning land or obtaining business licenses, culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which halted Chinese immigration and naturalization until 1943. In 1913, the Land Act Foreigners prohibited “foreigners ineligible for citizenship” from owning agricultural land or renting it for more than three years.
Despite these restrictions, the Chinese developed a prosperous neighborhood in Walnut Grove, but a fire in 1915 displaced hundreds of families.
Lee Bing, a prominent Chinese businessman, led reconstruction in Locke, negotiating with George Locke Jr. to lease land. This agreement allowed residents to build 45 wooden buildings between 1915 and 1917, creating an enclave with shops, a hotel, a restaurant and an arcade.
During its heyday between 1920 and 1940, Locke was a prosperous and culturally unique city, with a population of approximately 600 people, mostly Chinese.
Following the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943, many descendants of the original Locke families moved to nearby cities in search of better opportunities. Currently, only a small fraction of Locke’s 60 residents are Chinese.
Despite population decline in the 1960s, Locke endured thanks to social cohesion and mutual respect among its inhabitants. In 1990, Locke was declared a National Historic Landmark, recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior as the largest and most complete example of a Chinese American rural and agricultural community in the country.
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2024-06-12 05:15:48
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