An abandoned infant and raised as a refugee in Japanese-occupied Malaya during World War II Sylvia Sun Minnick is united with her parents after the war; but, she is unable to understand if being the "third" daughter was the reason for her parents' mistreatment of her. Minnick is rescued and brought to San Francisco by her maternal grandmother and raised in the San Francisco Chinatown community. A survivor, Minnick met challenges with 'true grit' and resourcefulness. She is a noted public historian of Chinese Americans in California's Central Valley, a business woman, writer/lecturer, community activist and even an outspoken Stockton City Council member. This is a memoir of self-preservation, hardship, and sorrow. Yet it is a story of a person with indomitable spirit.

Never A Burnt Bridge

Minnick, Sylvia Sun

Biographies & Memoirs

SMC Press

Stockton, referred to as Sam Fow by its Chinese community, was the third largest metropolitan area leading to the goldfields of California at the turn of the 20th century. The Chinese immigrants came from Kwangtung, China, to find their fortune, and instead found a series of restrictive laws aimed at keeping them from participating in the development of the burgeoning frontier town. Their story is here, in over 200 vintage images of community life and resilience.
Despite legislation such as the Foreign Miners' taxes and the California Alien Land Act, and most recently the construction of the Crosstown Freeway combined with the redevelopment project that disseminated the heart of Chinatown, the Chinese of this area were major contributors to California and Stockton's economy. They have maintained a balance between their heritage of familial and religious obligations and western education and activities. Included are photographs dating from the late 1920s of traditional Chinese associations and more recent community activities. These images showcase once thriving businesses, educational and religious efforts, and familial milestones.

The Chinese Community of Stockton (CA) (Images of America)

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

Samfow: The San Joaquin Chinese Legacy

The book is a revealing portrait of the Chinese émigrés of western America, a people laughing, crying, fighting and loving in the Chinatown community of Stockton, California, the gateway to the Mother Lode and the San Joaquin Valley. Using a historical perspective, the author reviews why the Chinese left their native land and looks at the City of Stockton in which the Chinese settled. Being the third stop on the way to the gold fields, the development of a Chinese community within its township was a significant event. The author also discusses social and economic issues and the role of Chinese women and marriage in the culturally changing environment.

History

Americas

Heritage West Books

Stockton, referred to as Sam Fow by its Chinese community, was the third largest metropolitan area leading to the goldfields of California at the turn of the 20th century. The Chinese immigrants came from Kwangtung, China, to find their fortune, and instead found a series of restrictive laws aimed at keeping them from participating in the development of the burgeoning frontier town. Their story is here, in over 200 vintage images of community life and resilience.Despite legislation such as the Foreign Miners' taxes and the California Alien Land Act, and most recently the construction of the Crosstown Freeway combined with the redevelopment project that disseminated the heart of Chinatown, the Chinese of this area were major contributors to California and Stockton's economy. They have maintained a balance between their heritage of familial and religious obligations and western education and activities. Included are photographs dating from the late 1920s of traditional Chinese associations and more recent community activities. These images showcase once thriving businesses, educational and religious efforts, and familial milestones.

Chinese Community of Stockton

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

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Books by Minnick, Sylvia Sun