Customer Reviews

Bury My Bones in America: The Saga of a Chinese Family in California, 1852-1996--From San Francisco to the Sierra Gold Mines

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If you enjoy historical books about Asian American or California history, this is a "must read." Lani Ah Tye Farkas tells the fascinating true story of her great grandfather, who arrived in California in the early 1850s and overcame racial oppression and other challenges to successfully settle in America. She then traces the fortunes of his progeny, and tells their stories through two generations. The resulting book accurately portrays the many struggles and challenges that early Chinese immigrants faced in California in the last century and a half. The book features wonderful family photographs, some tragic stories, and is fully footnoted.

If you enjoy historical books about Asian American or California history, this is a "must read." Lani Ah Tye Farkas tells the fascinating true story of her great grandfather, who arrived in California in the early 1850s and overcame racial oppression and other challenges to successfully settle in America. She then traces the fortunes of his progeny, and tells their stories through two generations. The resulting book accurately portrays the many struggles and challenges that early Chinese immigrants faced in California in the last century and a half. The book features wonderful family photographs, some tragic stories, and is fully footnoted.

This beautifully illustrated and written story of a Chinese immigrant is fascinating in its scope, detail, and in putting his experience in the context of our California history. As a fourth generation Chinese, there was much here that I did not know about my ancestors' struggles and triumphs, courage and tragedies. Enjoy this wonderful story and receive an education.

It is a well researched documentary account with pictures on a Chinese leader, Yee Ah Tye during California Gold Rush era. He was an immigrant fighter in the struggle against racial prejudice and hardship. Able to speak English, he got involved in San Francisco, La Porte and Sacramento. It was interesting to know his involvement with the Kong Chow Temple and Kwan Ti, the God of War and Peace. I had the fortune to visit the new location at Stockton and Clay streets in San Francisco Chinatown for the history.

Of interest was a large copy of Resident Certificate with picture issued to Chinese who had to carry at all times (P.77). A Chinese fitting the illegal profile could be stopped to show his certificate. It might be subject to deportation. The Bill of Rights for Chinese were irrelevant. It was America first internal passport. Does it sound familiar recently in Arizona? With the Chinese Consulates in San Francisco, New York, and Six Companies, the hundred thousand Chinese staged the first and largest civil disobedience in American history in 1892, ten years after the Chinese Exclusion Act.

It is double happiness in 2011 that San Francisco and Oakland had their first Chinese-American mayors. It was a long century journey for them to travel from their house to City Hall, even only a few blocks away.

This books is a family tree with vintage pictures from 1852-1996. It is an important chapter in Chinese-American history on Yee Ah Tye who buried his heart and soul in his adopted country. Even with the last grave picture on P.140 printed in reverse, this book is an honorable tribute.

Lots of new information on the Chinese in America. Have read several papers on this subject using this book as a reference so it's great to add to my library!