Chinese History ( Cont . from Page 6 )
One immigrant , Thomas Foon Chew , flourished despite the restrictions . As the son of a merchant , Thomas and his mother were able to immigrate to San Francisco in 1897 . His father owned a small cannery . When the 1906 earthquake destroyed the business , it reopened in Alviso . Thomas joined with his father to expand the business , Bayside Cannery , where it flourished under his leadership .
A second cannery was opened in Mayfield ( Palo Alto ) in 1918 and a third in Isleton in 1919 . Thomas was an innovator in the canning business , earning the nickname of “ Mr . Asparagus .” The company packed the tender stalks in square cans to prevent breakage of the delicate tips . Because of his untimely death at aged 42 the company ’ s canneries were sold within five years . However , there are historic plaques in Alviso that document the history of the Bayside Cannery company .
When immigration laws were changed in the late 1940s a restricted number of Chinese people were allowed into the country . These early immigrants were Cantonese speakers , many from Hong Kong . Mountain View benefited from the new arrivals . Several Chinese restaurants were opened on Castro Street in the 1960s and 1970s . The nearby Moffett Air Station provided a good source of patronage , in addition to the local residents , many of whom had their favorite restaurants , such as Qui Hing Low , Andy ’ s Chinese Restaurant , Golden Wok , New China Delight and Szechuan Gardens .
Above : Lunar New Year Parade on Castro Street in the 1980s .
A popular Lunar New year Parade was conducted on Castro Street from 1986- 1998 . The annual celebration attracted many observers , who watched lion dancers and cultural groups march and perform . By the early 1970s the draw of higher education brought Chinese people from Taiwan , Hong Kong and the mainland to study at Stanford and Berkeley . The development of Silicon Valley allowed these scholars to remain- to work and / or to develop their own
Above : Menu for the Golden Wok , located at 895 Villa Street ( now Steins Beer Garden ) for in the 1980s and 1990s .
companies . Other immigrants opened small businesses , such as insurance and law firms , markets and restaurants . Others became artists , film makers and philanthropists .
Today most Chinese in Mountain View and the surrounding areas are Mandarin speakers . To encourage participation in the community , the city of Mountain View offers the Chinese Language Civic Leadership Academy , a program designed to improve participants ’ understanding of local government and city services . The city also provides Chinese language translation services for many city meetings and programs . In 2023 , the city held its first annual Lunar New Celebration at the Mountain View Community Center which featured traditional performances , crafts , games , community booths and food trucks .
Join us on May 5 for our quarterly event , where more information about the history of Chinese people will be presented . The 2:00 p . m . meeting will be held at the Mtn . View Senior Center .
Mementos from Andy ’ s Chinese Restaurant on display at the Mtn . View History Center 7