Chinese in Napa Valley: The Forgotten Community That Built Wine Country

by John McCormick

Overview

Unearth the origins of Napa Valley's prosperity. Chinese laborers were once the backbone of Napa Valley. Throughout the late 1800s, they toiled in the grape fields, mines, hop farms, leather tanneries and laundries, and carved out neighborhoods in towns throughout the Valley. These contributions did little to deter discrimination and Anti-Chinese Leagues sprang up to harass and intimidate immigrants like Chan Wah Jack, who ran the successful Sang Lung store in Napa's Chinatown. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act hastened the decline of local Chinatowns and these once vibrant communities disappeared while the industries they helped to foster flourished. Join author John McCormick as he uncovers the forgotten contributions of the Chinese people in California's most famous wine region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467152785
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/02/2023
Series:	American Heritage
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

John McCormick grew up in Napa and is descended from five generations of Napa Valley residents. He received his bachelor's in engineering from the University of California-Berkeley and his master's in history from Harvard University. After a career in technology in Silicon Valley, he and his wife now own a small business in Lafayette, California.

Editorial Reviews

Napa Valley Register article.JPG

From the Publisher