RESPECT DUE
The striking sculpture in San Luis Obispo's
Rail Road Square pays respect to the Chinese
workers who made rail roads a reality.
Chinese influence on the American west coast has
been largely under appreciated. Gavin Menzies book
1421 The Year China Discovered the World
claims Chinese sailors made it to the American west
before Europeans made their way to the east coast.
While that view is not universally accepted
it is clear that Chinese helped shape the
American west.
Chinese also worked in the Cinnabar mines of
the central coast.
the central coast.
Generation of Chinese families harvested kelp on the
Central Coast. The San Luis Obispo sculpture
is a beautiful reminder of what was back breaking
labor that helped develop the west.
SURFS UP
IN ACADEMIA
AND WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
Investigative reporter Will Evans of CALIFORNIA WATCH
is out with a timely and eye opening piece on
Charitable fund raising.
My own years of investigative reporting lead me to
find the charity's excuses a bit dubious. When I contribute
I want to know the money is going for the said cause
instead of building a data base or brand recognition.
I agree that the Chinese influence here was great. I've read that here in Portland we once had the largest Chinatown on the west coast, bigger even than San Francisco. Now all we have are two stone lions in a bad part of town. Quite a loss.
ReplyDeleteStephen,
ReplyDeleteA favorite activity when in San Francisco is going into China town and just watching some of the local herbal pharmacists mix their prescriptions and compounds. Of course I don't have a clue as to what some of those powders, twigs, leaves and all are, but it is fascinating to watch them
measure and lay them out on brown paper.