Friday, August 3, afternoon session - Chinese American Museum

[Aileen Level]

I knew that Chinatown had been razed/moved, but for some reason I'd thought it had more to do with the construction of the freeways than with the train station. Now that I've been to the Chinese American Museum and have seen first-hand its location and proximity to Union Station, I'll be able to remember the history more clearly. I also hadn't realized it was adjacent to Olvera Street, though I know that Olvera Street itself didn't look like it does now when the old Chinatown was there. 

The trip made me think of Lisa See's multi-generational family biography, "On Gold Mountain." She details the history of her family, from emigration from China to the present day, and talks a lot about her family's experiences in Chinatown. It was particularly interesting to read about how her ancestors worked around racist laws by trading for land they couldn't legally buy and by getting married in Mexico when interracial marriages couldn't be performed here. 

Archaeology is part of my curriculum, and I would like to add more information about the Chinese cemetery that was discovered during MTA construction a few years ago. That would bring the idea of archaeology closer to home and would also link to both current events and California history. 
If anyone is interested, here is an article about the discovery and reburial of the remains:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/09/local/la-me-chinese-burial9-2010mar09

[Aileen Level]

It's interesting that Christine Sterling's plan seems to have more or less worked with Olvera Street (evolving from stereotypes presented for white audiences to something with more of a genuine connection to the community, if I understand correctly) but not with China City. Would it have changed and grown, too, if it hadn't burned in 1949? I'd also like to learn more about Sterling and her activities in Los Angeles in general. How were these "ethnic towns" viewed at the time? (Presumably not as the stereotypes her vision now seems to embody, but it would be interesting to learn more about their history.)

[Kim Leng]

What a surprise to enter an exhibit at the Chinese American Museum and stare at a face on display that I recognize.  I saw my friend’s 4^th grade class photo on display today in an exhibit about Monterey Park. When most people think about Monterey Park, diversity does not come to mind.  The specific display that I looked at indicated the number of diverse student populations in the 1990s, showing Monterey Park has a rich diverse history. 

I enjoyed the museum visit. I thought it was wonderful that the labels are in three languages: Chinese, English, and Spanish. It may be a small museum, but it’s very organized and the docent is knowledgeable.  When she informed our group that old Chinatown used to extend to 7^th street and that Union Station used to part of Chinatown, it saddens me to think about the current changes in Chinatown. Supermarkets and stores that I visited as a child are no longer there.  Now there’s a Starbucks, Howlin’ Ray’s, and many other shops that seem to pop up overnight.  This makes me question: Is Chinatown just a place or does it stand for something more?

[Jennifer Place]

I loved this museum.  Using artifacts, primary sources, and narrative to enhance and support historical data are always a success for me!  The exhibits were so wonderfully presented.  I imagine that the local children thoroughly enjoy this gem of a museum.   I especially enjoyed the music exhibit on the upper floor.   It was sad to learn that so much of the nearby neighborhood had been destroyed in order to build the post office.  I wonder if this museu does virtual tours????

[Gerlinde Goschi]

Although I go to the apothecary in Chinatown once/twice a year to buy teas and herbs, I have not been to the CAM yet, a true gem in the metropolis of LA (as Jacqueline stated).  I enjoyed the timeline on the first floor allowing a visitor to take a "Journey" through the history of Chinese immigration to the US, specifically, California and Los Angeles.  Beginning with 1840 as the African slave trade ends, Chinese and Asian Indian workers become laborers to replace the slaves.  The Gold Rush attracted many Chinese to California.  Some of the most interesting facts I learned here:  in 1952- 20,000 Chinese entered the US, only 17 are women. My interest was also piqued by the book written by Wen Ho Lee, My Country Versus Me.  I was touched by the grains of rice in a bowl representing the LA County Chinese population starting with 16 Chinese in 1860 growing to two bowls of rice representing 329,350 Chinese in 2000.  I would love to bring my class to visit this museum.  I am glad I had the opportunity to do so myself.

[Natali Ramon]

This was not my first time in the Chinese American Museum, I had visited months ago with the intention of collaborating with the Mandarin teacher to plan an excursion for our students and I was really delighted to see that just in putting labels in English, Spanish, and Mandarin the museum is very inclusive as it tries to reach a wide audience. As a Spanish teacher, it’s really nice to take my students to a place that caters to the language of the discipline.  It really takes the leg work of having to translate in order to turn in work for our class.  One of the things that strikes me the most is that the museum does a wonderful job of capturing the immigrant experience and tracing how a community both creates its own space and integrates itself into the country.  I think my Latino students will really identify with the narratives they see and draw on the similarities between Chinese immigrants and immigrants in their family.  In this was, I hope to help my students draw similarities and develop empathy and respect for all communities in Los Angeles.    

 

[Natali Ramon]

Jennifer,

I also appreciated that the museum offers a lot of artifacts and narrative to help the content come alive. Like you, I like that this museum is accessible to children but I also think it’s accessible to our students who are more visual learners as well as our students who can take in the content by touching and seeing as opposed to solely reading captions.  In thinking about the students at my school, a lot of my students are LTELs and as a result they are currently developing their literacy skills in English so it was really nice to see that the exhibit would have been accessible to these students who predominantly read in Spanish.  

[Ann Huynh]

The Chinese American Museum was really interesting.  As I was exploring the museum, I read about the lynching of Chinese people and the impact that the Chinese Exclusion Act had upon the Chinese people in America.  I remembered learning about this in high school, but there was not more than a page devoted to this.  Hopefully, that has changed.  It was really nice to see an abacus, a Chinese calculator next to the herbal medicine where people went to get their symptoms treated.  I was surprised to see the medicine that the Chinese doctors used next to the Western name of the medicine.  This museum would be a great way to get the students to learn more about Chinese people in America.  Since we are located in Downtown, taking the metro would be an ideal way for the students to visit this museum and experience the museum firsthand.  We can talk about the colors of the outfit and the scripts that the Chinese people used.

[Jane Shen]

In the Chinese American Museum, my eyes was caught by a cartoon named: " The Anti-Chinese Wall: The American Wall Goes Up as the Chinese Original Goes Down". ( Attached)

The picture reflects the immigration situation during the late Qing dynasty. In one side ( far in the end, we can see many Chinese with Queue which was the specific hair style officially requried in the last emporer of China-The Qing Dynasty. Those Chinese were supervised by an government official shown in the pictures who was sitting under an unbrella. The laboring men were working hard to break the walls which build to keep the foreigner away from China. Through the broken wall, we can see that there were many foreigners landing with boat on China. Behind we can see the Chinse typical buildings. This means that in the late Qing, Chinese government started to welcome the westerners to their countries.

However, in the closer part of the picture, we can see there are many westerners, black and white, are building walls with bricks of Competiont, Fear, Jeolousy, Anti Low Wages. While there is a offcial looked man is examining the bricks carefully and applying cement to secure the bricks to build the wall. The caption says that the American Wall goes up while the Chinese Original goes down.

Reflect to what happenned to now, as China has openned up for Western trade and culture, President Donald Trump is building walls against Chinese. So the same Anti-Chinese wall are still existing across the time line.

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[Jane Shen]

I heard that Chinese first came to San Fransico during the Gold Rush, so up to now in Chinese, San Francisco " 旧金山“ means " Old Gold Mountain". After the gold rush, many of them moved south to Southern California with their farming skills. They grew Asparagus and vegetables and selling them by carrying them on shoulder pole. The Chinese Meuseum had a photo of a man with a carrying pole ( see attachment)

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[Jane Shen]

Hi Jacqueline, I am also touched by the same caroon picture you mentioned here. I am attaching the photo here. The title of this picture is " Anti-Chinese Wall" It says the American Wall Goes up as the Chinese Original Goes Down.

I also post an review of the same picture here since as a Mandarin teacher, I think the Anti-Chinese wall is still existing. President Donal Trump's government had recently raised the duties to more than 50 billion Chinese import merchandise and by the end of this August, there will be a hearing to discuss raising the duties to  another 200 bilion Chinese goods. This will reflect the same wall showed in the picture more than 100 years ago.

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[Daniel Horowitz]

The recreation of the general store was a great addition to the museum. It was an opportunity to travel backwards in time and see what goods, herbs and spices were sought out by residents here. I was aware that the original Chinatown was raised to create Union Station, but I was unaware that this building still stands as a museum. Seeing other people's posts, it seems like this museum was a discovery for many participants. I am glad that the museum exists, preserving this part of LA history.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I was also really shocked after studying the map of Chinatown. I wonder what that alley is currently like and what it is called now. The map would be a great document to study in class. While I don't teach US history, I am going to try and find a copy of the map and share it (or maybe use the photo I took of it) with my colleague. I think it can spark an interesting discussion about immigration, xenophobia, and race in Los Angeles. The US history teacher also teaches Geography so I think he can use this map in multiple ways. Maybe even study change over time by using DTLA as a case study. 

[Anthony Pollard]

     What a wonderful way to start our tour of the Chinese American Museum, by first having Chinese food for lunch. It was "mmm, mmm, good!" Once again, I learned things about Chinese culture, I did not know. Of course I would because if I already knew, what is the purpose of going? I expect to teach students to experience my similar epiphanies.

     I think the technology exhibited at the museum intrigued me the most. I was in a particular room upstairs, and saw a colleague dancing. The visuals and music displayed on the wall was following her moments. 

     As I walked through the first floor, I was able to view a history of Chinatown. I did not know that Chinatown had moved from the location it was originally established. I was able to visit the new Chinatown where colleague took me there to visit. The pictures I saw of Chinatown were similar to the Chinatown I visited in San Francisco. I had dinner at a restaurant, which claimed it has been in existence before the 1930s. 

     The history I realized from visiting the Chinese American Museum was vast. I have a friend whose family members were from Chinatown of the past. They said they had not visited this museum. I told them they needed to visit because there may have been some history there, that documents their family members. Their family members were an integral part of the expansion and politics performed for Chinese people in America, both citizen and immgrant. 

[Nira Sun]

Hi Natali,

I'm still looking forward to our field trip for our AP students. It would be great if our students can see how similiar our immigrant histories were. Just like you said, it was very interesting that there are Spanish written inside the Chinese American Museum. It would definitely caught our students' attention and easier for them to find connection with the stories they heard from their parents.

Even thought it was not my first time being here, it was definitely my first time went up to the second floor of it. The museum is small but it displayed so many interesting little items from old days. It has a very brief history of how Chinese immigrants have grown and developed in the China town or Monterey Park area.

I was glad that we also got to take a little tour to the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. It was my very first time to stop by there. These two are certainly the best combination for students to experience the immigration histories of both cultures.

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