Have you followed the construction on the southeast corner of First and E streets? It is the Eureka Chinatown Monument, which commemorates the story of Eureka Chinese residents who were violently driven out of their homes and businesses in February 1885. While a clear improvement from the site’s former cracked concrete and scraggly bushes, what do the monument elements mean?
Moon Gate arch. The moon gate is a common element in Asian landscape and interior architecture and here represents the immigration and emigration of Chinese people. The leaf and wave motifs etched into the arch represent the land and water crossed by immigrants.
Poem walls and poem, the “Water Book of Questions.” Poet Daryl Ngee Chinn struggled with how to uncover and tell a story when a community is erased from history.
River timeline. From First to E street, a blue “river” represents time (starting around 1850 nearest First Street) to our present day (closest to E Street).
Rock population markers. The concrete “rocks” symbolize the population of Asian people in Humboldt County over time. Note that the population grows slowly from 1850 until 1885 when they were forcibly driven out; very few Chinese people remained in the county for more than 70 years, until the 1950s when Ben Chin opened the Canton Café. Rock sizes increase as Asians return to Humboldt County.
Ginkgo tree. Herbal uses of the Ginkgo biloba include memory enhancement. In the fall, yellow leaves fall to the ground almost overnight, similar to the 1885 expulsion. Tree leaves return in the spring, representing the resilience of Asian immigrants and residents.
Rock markers calligraphy. Words in calligraphy and English describe the experiences of the Eureka Chinese people over time:
- Hope — the feeling of optimism in traveling to a new land and life
- Gold Mountain — refers to the promise of opportunity in California
- Chinatown — the community included stores, farms, boats, and laundries, supporting approximately 300 Chinese residents living in Eureka in the 1880s
- Expulsion — in February 1885, all but a few Chinese people were forcibly detained and deported to San Francisco
- Resistance — through lawsuits and attempts to return, Chinese immigrants and citizens resisted anti-Asian legislation and culture
- Resilience — the ability to adapt and bounce back is demonstrated by Chinese and Asian people’s success in farming, fishing, and other businesses
- Rebirth — recognizing the connection between Chinese and Indigenous people, and our communities’ renaissance.
- Community — inclusion of all peoples of Eureka and the North Coast region within the growing Humboldt Asian community
- Hope — the feeling of optimism for greater diversity, solidarity, and equity in our future
Landscape. Except for the ginkgo tree, native plants represent the various ecosystems found in our North Coast region.
Numerous organizations, agencies, businesses, and individuals supported the monument through monetary and in-kind donations. HAPI particularly thanks Deborah Lee Cooper, the City of Eureka, the Eureka Cultural Arts District, the California State Coastal Conservancy, the Ink People Center for the Arts and Culture, and the Humboldt Area Foundation. Please visit hapihumboldt.org.
HAPI is a project of the Ink People Center for the Arts and Culture DreamMaker Program.