The History and Architecture of San Francisco’s Chinese American Neighborhoods

The History and Architecture of San Francisco’s Chinese American Neighborhoods

Speaker:  Grant Din

The Chinese American Historic Context Statement, written for the San Francisco Department of City Planning by Grant Din with Eric Mar and the Chinese Historical Society of America, documents the expansive story of the Chinese American experience throughout San Francisco. It discusses initial

19th century settlement and community formation in Chinatown and migration patterns to neighborhoods such as the Richmond and the Sunset in the mid-20th century.

Grant will describe information especially relevant for genealogists, such as where people lived before and after the earthquake and fire of 1906, into the 20 th century, and stories about important people in the development of San Francisco’s Chinese American community such as historian Him Mark Lai, business owners Sinclair and May Louie, and 19th century rancher Lim Lip Hong and his descendants. The process of writing and editing this statement began in 2018 and recently a series of input sessions have begun. The draft can be downloaded from City Planning at https://sfplanning.org/project/chinese-american-historic-context-statement#info and your comments are encouraged.

California Genealogical Society board member Grant Din has been researching his and others’ family histories for over forty years, including when he was on the staff of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. His research travels have taken him throughout the U.S., China, and Japan and he has spoken to local and national organizations about many aspects of Asian American genealogy.

A highlight of his work was being on the research team for the film The Six, about the six Chinese seamen who survived the wreck of the Titanic, and helping many families research their immigration stories. Grant has a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University, an M.A. in public policy analysis from Claremont Graduate University, and a B.A. in sociology from Yale University and lives with his family in Oakland.