.07

1906 Earthquake

A label reading, In the early morning hours of April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake struck San Francisco. The quake lasted less than a minute, but its impact proved to be disastrous. The destruction and casualties from the “Earth Dragon” were compounded by three days of raging fires that engulfed the city because of broken water mains. Chinatown was reduced to rubble and ash. An example of resiliency after the disaster came when Mr. Wong Sun Yue and Ms. Ella May Clemens met while distributing rations to Chinese earthquake refugees. Soon after, they became a couple and built a shelter with Red Cross lumber and an army tent for a roof. After marrying, they opened a Chinatown curio shop initially stocked with items found in the rubble of the earthquake, hence the name “Relics Dug from the Ruins.” For many years they distributed postcards of themselves posed in their shop to promote their wares to tourists, capitalizing on their atypical union of the time.
A label reading, About 15,000 people lived in the crowded blocks of Chinatown. Along with half the population of greater San Francisco, the survivors were displaced. An additional challenge for Chinese residents was a lack of options for even temporary shelter, due to strict boundaries where they could reside. Most ended up in segregated tent cities across the bay in Oakland; others made their way to Sacramento and Los Angeles. The earthquake and fires also destroyed all birth and citizenship records in the city, and this gave Chinese laborers the opportunity to falsely claim U.S. citizenship and bypass the strict immigration laws. Thousands came forward to report “lost” records. In most cases, citizenship was granted, along with the legal right to bring family from China. A black market industry developed to create forged documents, false histories, and “paper families.” These efforts led to increased immigration, and the bachelor society became more diverse; the male-to-female ratio evolved from 27:1 (1890) to 4:1 (1920).
On a-old and colorful map of San Francisco
An earthquake devastation a Chinese community. A woman with her back to the camera stared at the destruction from a distance.
A Chinatown postcard
A label reading, This illustrated map to promote Chinatown tourism in the 1940s includes icons and stereotypes of the district. The perimeter blocks represent aspects of immigration and culture spanning 100 years (1847—1946). Before the earthquake, the few square blocks of Chinatown had been in the middle of prime San Francisco real estate, and city leaders saw an opportunity to move the district to a less desirable area. Resistance and quick action by Chinese merchants allowed them to keep the original location, and rebuilding began immediately. The rebirth of Chinatown happened quickly and with tourists in mind; the new skyline was distinctly Asian-inspired with decorative pagodas, like the Sing Fat Company building featured on the postcard. Simple wooden buildings were replaced with embellished brick structures, and the overall footprint gradually expanded to 24 blocks. Many Chinatown residents returned to settle in the new-and-improved neighborhood. Today Chinatown remains a top destination within San Francisco, with millions of annual visitors to its markets, shops and restaurants.

Home

Medicine

Home

Newspapers