[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11665-11666]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     IN HONOR OF CHINATOWN, LOS ANGELES IN RECOGNITION OF ITS 75TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. XAVIER BECERRA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 2013

  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 75th anniversary 
of a place of history and a cornerstone of Los Angeles culture: 
Chinatown.
  Chinatown today is a dynamic neighborhood where the old and new come 
together harmoniously to create a unique destination point for 
Angelinos and newcomers alike. It spans 24-city blocks with a bustling 
commercial district and active residents. When walking down North 
Broadway, you can see the well-preserved historic architecture and 
cultural celebrations alongside innovative commercial developments that 
protect the integrity of the Chinese American community's history in 
Los Angeles.
  Understanding how Los Angeles' Chinatown found a home opens a 
fascinating window into the quest for dignity and opportunity for 
Chinese Americans. That journey did not start

[[Page 11666]]

with the creation of Chinatown in its current location. In fact, it 
began in 1852 when the first Chinese settled around El Pueblo Plaza. By 
the 1870s, it had grown to 200 people, mostly male, who made their 
living as laborers working in laundry, gardening and ranching.
  It was during this time of growth that the Chinese community 
experienced one of the most serious incidents of racial violence in Los 
Angeles' history, the Massacre of 1871. This horrific event occurred 
when a mob of over 500 white men entered Chinatown to attack, rob and 
murder Chinese residents of the city. Despite such severe 
discrimination, the people of Chinatown persevered and found a way to 
prosper. Chinatown grew to over 3,000 people, boasting a Chinese Opera 
theatre, three temples, a newspaper, even a telephone exchange. As the 
town thrived, residents formed family organizations and church 
missions.
  Even as the Chinese community continued to make significant 
contributions to Los Angeles and the nation, sadly there was an 
increase in anti-Chinese sentiment. State laws prohibited the Chinese 
from owning property and the federal Chinese Exclusion Act barred 
others in the future from emigrating to the United States. America made 
life difficult for its people of Chinese heritage.
  And it added to the adversity that Old Chinatown in Los Angeles 
confronted. Starting in 1913, Chinatown faced a continuous threat of 
relocation as the City of Los Angeles decided that the best location to 
build Union Station, it's sparkling new railroad station, would be Old 
Chinatown. After decades of living with the threat of eviction, the 
Chinese community was forced to relocate in 1931. The residents of Old 
Chinatown, who had built their lives in this neighborhood, were 
displaced with no compensation or relocation plans to rebuild their 
homes and businesses. They were scattered throughout the city.
  Hard times were no stranger to the residents of Chinatown. And so, on 
April 22, 1937, Peter Soohoo brought together a group of 28 prominent 
Chinese Angelenos for an organizational meeting. They drafted a 
proposal for a new neighborhood that would combine elements of Chinese 
design with modern American architecture. This architectural vision 
would reflect the Chinese American identity that this community had 
worked so hard to establish.
  According to the plan, a private association would wholly manage the 
project including the financing of it. Thus, the Los Angeles Chinatown 
Project Association was born. On June 25, 1938, eighteen businesses 
opened their doors to the public in the New Chinatown, one of the first 
malls in America and the nation's first modern American ``Chinatown.''
  The Chinese American community continued its impressive growth in Los 
Angeles. The sons and daughters of these pioneers helped build 
Chinatown from three buildings on North Broadway into a dynamic 
commercial district and residential area frequented by both tourists 
and locals. It is one of Los Angeles' cultural treasures that we must 
nurture and celebrate.
  I commend the hardworking citizens of New Chinatown, some of whom are 
descendants of its original families, for their dedication to advancing 
the area, while protecting its history and cultural significance. Their 
contributions are invaluable and must be applauded.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with deep pride that I ask my colleagues to join 
me in celebrating the ``Diamond Anniversary'' of one of Los Angeles' 
great neighborhoods, New Chinatown. We are a better America today 
because of the visionaries and pioneers who fought to survive the tough 
times and because of the generations that followed who continue to make 
our City and our country the home of the American Dream.

                          ____________________