t from Second to
Sixth Streets. At the time this area of "I" Street was considered a
health hazard as, lying within a levee zone it was lower than other parts of
the city which were situated on higher land. Throughout Sacramento's Chinatown
history there were fires, acts of discrimination, and prejudicial legislation
such as the Chinese Exclusion Act that was not repealed until 1943. The
mysterious fires were thought to be set off by those who did not take a liking
to the Chinese working class. Ordinances on what was viable building material
were set into place to try to get the Chinese to move out. Newspapers such as
The Sacramento Union, at the time, wrote stories that portrayed the Chinese in
an unfavorable light to inspire ethnic discrimination and drive the Chinese
away. As the years passed, a railroad was created over parts of the Chinatown
and further politics and laws would make it even harder for Chinese workers to
sustain a living in Sacramento. While the east side of the country fought for
higher wages and fewer working hours, many cities in the western United States
wanted the Chinese out because of the belief that they were stealing jobs from
the white working class.
The Chinese remained resilient despite these efforts. They built their
buildings out of bricks just as the building guidelines established. They
helped build part of the railroads that span the city as well as making a great
contribution to the transcontinental railroad that spans the United States.
They also helped build the levees within Sacramento and the surrounding cities.
As a result, they are a well-recognized part of Sacramento's history and
heritage.
While most of Sacramento's Chinatown has now been razed, a small Chinatown
mall remains, as well as a museum dedicated to the history of Sacramento's
Chinatown and the contributions Chinese Americans have made to the city. Amtrak
sits along what was part of Sacramento's Chinatown "I" Street
