The connection of Chinese with Arcadia and the San Gabriel Valley is nothing new — in fact, Chinese immigrants played a significant role in the development of Los Angeles and Arcadia, Eugene Moy of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California explained Thursday in a fascinating program presented by the Arcadia Historical Society in front of dozens of enthusiastic and appreciative attendees.
L-R: Carol Libby, Gene Glasco, Eugene Moy
The program at the Society’s new headquarters of the historic Prince Erik Hall at 2607 S. Santa Anita Avenue just north of Live Oak Avenue and behind the Arcadia Congregational Church, also featured a spellbinding flute solo by Arcadia High School senior Emily Zheng, winner of a 2015 National YoungArts medal and Society student board member, and an entertaining demonstration of Tai Chi by Arnold Lee. Lee was presented by Arcadia Chinese Association president Francine Chiu, who was introduced by program host Gene Glasco, Society President and City Clerk. <Story continues below the following 90-second video highlights of the program…>
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Get the Flash Player to see this content.In his Powerpoint/slide presentation, Moy noted that Chinese have been in North America since the 17th century and first came to the United States in 1784, and in Los Angeles since California became a state in 1850. Ads for Chinese businesses in local newspapers have been around since 1884 and a Chinatown was established in Pasadena in 1885. The first Chinese-American Mayor was elected in Oxnard in 1966 and just six years later President Nixon made a historic visit to China, opening up formal diplomatic relations in 1979.
Emily Zheng
Sadly, suppression and discrimination of Chinese in America has been going on just as long, with Congress creating the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 to prohibit immigration of Chinese laborers, which remained in effect for more than half-a-century, followed in 1886 by a boycott of Chinese goods and labor by the Los Angeles Trade and Labor Council.
Francine Chiu and Arnold Lee
But more positive progress began taking place, especially in the last 50 years, with Lily Lee Chen being elected Mayor of Monterey Park in 1983 – the first woman Chinese-American in that position, and Judy Chu becoming the first Chinese-American woman elected to the House of Representatives in 2009, where she continues to represent San Gabriel Valley and Arcadia.
Arcadia Historical Society program chairman Carol Libby thanked Moy for his presentation and gave him gifts which included a fortune cookie which generated great audience laughter when he read aloud the message saying, “Confucius say you are one smart cookie.”
— By Scott Hettrick