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

by John McCormick and John McCormick

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1467152781
• ISBN13: 9781467152785
• Release Date: January 2023
• Publisher: History Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Chinese made Napa Great!

It is a well research documentary on Chinese contributions in the wine industry in Napa Valley in discrimination, violence and official legislature in systematic harassment in Nineteenth Century. Their hard labor and endurance were forgotten for this community that built the Famous Wine Country great. John wrote and promoted this book to honor the Chinese and the organizers probably read his book to dedicate a plaque ceremony in the Moon Gate on the town end bridge on Labor Day weekend 2023. He covered how Chinese came and sojourned in the Napa Valley and settled in Chinatowns with temples for moral strength and hope with a few dollars more and retired in China for a better life. The reality of love your neighbor believers was harsh for the heathen brothers, and the law of land was all men are created equal. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was made democratically in Congress aimed at all Chinese. It was a great celebration of Nixon China visit fifty years ago in his Toast of Peace with the Schramsberg Blanc de Blances sparkling Napa wine and Chinese laboeres dug the caves for creating this winery . Page 124 documented the St Helena Anti-Chinese League resolutions in degradation of youth, unfair labor competition, disease carrier. Did Trump read this and initiated the same playbook in war with China, in Tik Tok, Covid 19 and trade war? History horribly repeat itself and politicians forget Jesus moral teaching and the American constitution -some are more equal than others? He mentioned the Chinese Free Mason and did not offer detail how this got approval for such association among the allegations of Chinese took away jobs in Workman Party slogan of Chinese Must Go! Chinese were well alike for this work ethics at a good wage and the boycott was a failure. For the harsh treatment of Chinese laborers in America, the Six Company started the pan-Chinese boycott of American goods in 1905, impacted economically but not politically. Page 96 he mentioned the funeral was officiated the ceremony by Confucian priest. Obviously, he meant Taoist because there was never a Confucius priest, only scholars! In his conclusion page p.144, he commented: Chinese workers were as successful as they were given the intense discrimination they faced socially, economically, legally and politically is nothing short of remarkable. Chinese in America, specially in Covid-19 still suffered such bias, hatred and violence. American politicians need to study more and learning Chinese culture is the beginning of wisdom! Let’s enjoy Napa wine and offer to remember the Chinese who made Napa Wine great without invitation to the table to enjoy their share.