A look back at the history of San Luis Obispoâs Chinatown
Colette Ngo
and last updated 2021-05-20 20:24:21-04
Itâs Asian American Pacific Heritage month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Asian-Americans in the United States.
On Tuesday, the House passed a bill aimed at addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in response to a rise in attacks since the pandemic began. But discrimination dates back to the earliest days of California.
Someone who overcame much of that was On Wong, also known as Ah Louis. In the 1870s, Wong was one of the first Chinese immigrants in San Luis Obispo. He founded the Ah Louis store and was also a labor contractor, securing 160 Chinese laborers for the construction of the Cuesta Grade Road, railroads, and mining or draining of the Laguna Lake Area.