From Publishers Weekly
In their own words, the mostly elderly residents of formerly all-Chinese Locke, Calif., tell their life stories. Situated in the fertile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Locke is the lone survivor of what was once a range of Chinese towns along the West Coast and in the Rocky Mountain statesmost of which were destroyed at various times by Caucasian rioters. The well-researched introduction gives compelling information about Chinese-American history. Many readers will be surprised to learn that not only the West's railroad system, but also much of its agriculture, was made possible through the low-paid labor of Chinese men. Even more shocking, in this year of celebration of the Constitution, is the list of anti-Chinese laws enacted, some of which bear an eerie resemblance to the anti-Jewish ones of Hitler's Germany. Motlow's black-and-white photographs capture his subjects' steadfast dignity as well as the soft light of the delta region.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA These oral histories reveal the strong traditional ties of the people who grew up in the all-Chinese town of Locke, Calif. Family values and a work ethic were central to this culture. A historical essay gives a broad overview of the Chinese immigrant experience. Superb photographs of the people and the town complete this first-hand picture of Asians adjusting to life in America in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
