| 1838
| Merchants and traders arrived in Yerba Buena (Good Weed, SF) |
|
| 1842
| Opium War in China, Hong Kong was colonized, China in chaos
| |
| 1843
| Chinese laborers, coolies, arrived US on credit-ticket system,
similar to slave ships, mortality rate as high as 40%
| |
| 1848
| Discovery of gold in California
| |
| 1850
| California became a state of the union. Chinese first arrived
San Jose
|
|
| 1850
| Naturalization do not apply to Chinese. Cannot own land,
file mining claims, testify in court, hold public office,
or vote. Pay extra taxes and required special licenses to
operate business, discourage competition with European
immigrants. 17 Chinese women
| |
| 1851
| Santa Clara County (SC) has a population of 6,000
| |
|
|
| 1860
| Forbid Chinese children from going to public schools.
22 Chinese in Santa Clara County of 12,000 population.
70% of all Chinese in California were miners
| |
| 1864
| Contracted to build railroad in the Sierra. Over a thousand
died. Unable to join labor unions, equal work but not equal pay
| |
| 1869
| Completion of the intercontinental railroad in Pomontory Utah
| |
| 1870
| Unemployed immigrant poured in from the East Coast, economic
depression blamed on Chinese
| |
|
|
| 1870
| Chinese dominated strawberry farming in SC, share croppers.
1,525 Chinese in SC 28,000 population. 4.4% of all immigrants
| |
| 1875
| Bing Cherry
| |
| 1876
| Anti-Chinese movement. Yellow peril, violence in LA, Truckee,
Chico, Lake & Humbolt County, Mariposa, Sacramento, San Francisco
| |
| 1877
| "Chinese Must Go" labor movement. SJ as gateway city to southern
area. Chinese dispersed and worked in Almaden Quick Silver Mine,
Santa Cruz Mtn railroad, Monterey fishing, canning, gunpowder,
lumber industry, cigar, shoes and winery
| |
|
|
| 1880
| Illegal to hire Chinese
| |
| 1882
| Chinese Exclusion Act, suspended immigration of Chinese laborers.
No women to be admitted to US, 21:1 ratio. Prohibited interracial
marriage to limit Chinese citizenship in US. Chinese
represented 0.4% of immigrants in US, 7.7% in SC
| |
| 1886
| SJ Mayor and City Council declared Chinatown on Market and San
Fernando a nuisance
| |
| 1887
| Arson fire burned down SJ Chinatown, water tower emptied.
City Hall built across the street. Used no bricks or plumbing
built by Chinese
| |
| 1888
| John Heinlen, a businessman, acquired land to build Chinatown
b/t Taylor and Jackson, 5-7th Street. Ng Shing Gung temple was
located at the center of town known as Heinlenville.
| |
|
|
| 1888
| Scott Act barred re-entry of Chinese, from exclusion to expulsion
| |
| 1890
| Chinese male:female ratio polarized to 28:1. Agriculture activities
increased
| |
| 1890
| Bay Side Canning Co in Alviso, third largest in the country
| |
| 1892
| Geary Act required the carrying of certificate of residence
| |
| 1893
| Economic Depression
| |
| 1898
| U.S. Supreme Court recognized children born in US of Chinese
parents as citizens
| |
| 1904
| Extended indefinitely Chinese Exclusion Act, quarantine of SF
Chinatown for three and one-half months
| |
| 1906
| 8.3 Earthquake hit SF, demise of Chinatown in SJ
| |
| 1910
| Huge drop in agricultural activities in SC
| |
| 1911
| Republic of China led by Sun Yat-Sen, many returned to China
| |
| 1930
| Chinese dominated chrysanthemum growing business in Berryessa
| |
| 1931
| Heinlen's owed SJ back taxes, SJ on receivership
| |
| 1932
| Chinatown demolished, Ng Shing Gung altar was saved
| |
| 1932
| Chinese moved to San Francisco
| |
| 1935
| Granted Asian veterans of WW1 to apply for citizenship
| |
| 1943
| Chinese permitted to become naturalized citizens, a turning point
| |
| 1953
| US to admit 2,000 Chinese
| |
| 1965
| US abolished immigrant national-origin quotas
| |
| 1970
| Immigrants with high technology began moving into Bay Area.
Electronic industry centers in SJ, Berryessa became bedroom community
| |
| 1975
| New tract homes built on Berryessa Road adjacent to the Flea Market
| |
| 1975
| Farmers continue to move south to Gilroy
| |
| 1980
| Berryessa Chinese School founded
| |