12A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016
Christian: Chinese once comprised a third of Astoria’s population
Continued from Page 1A
A harvest celebration by
ethnic Chinese and Vietnam-
ese, the Mid-Autumn Festival
is often seen as the second-most
important holiday after the Chi-
nese New Year in China and Tet
in Vietnam.
Building Astoria
Christian said she was
struck by the sheer impact of
Chinese immigrants on Asto-
ria when she researched their
history.
By 1880, Chinese immi-
grants comprised a third of
Astoria’s population, wrote
Liisa Penner in the Clatsop
County Historical Society’s
Cumtux Magazine. They were
drawn as cheap labor to work in
the many waterfront canneries.
“By 1880, the town took on
a new look with streets leveled,
docks reaching farther out into
the river and buildings going
up at an amazing rate,” Pen-
ner wrote. “Much of this was
accomplished, literally, on the
backs of Chinese who were
forced to labor on city proj-
ects as a way of paying off a tax
unfairly levied on them.”
The population started wan-
ing after the Chinese Exclusion
Act of 1882. By World War II,
Chinese labor contractors were
largely nonexistent.
Cumtux Magazine
Much of Chinatown was demolished in the 1940s for the rerouting of what is now Marine Drive.
‘I just think it’s important to
learn about all the groups
that helped build Astoria.’
Victor Kee
son of Chinese immigrant Sing Hee Leong
Lighting up the moon
Christian contacted Suenn
Ho, the designer of the Gar-
den of Surging Waves honor-
ing Chinese heritage in Astoria,
for help designing an art instal-
lation for the festival.
After hearing Christian’s
proposal and her enthusiasm,
Ho said, she couldn’t think of
anything more fitting for the
space. “The intention of the
public garden is to have com-
munity members take owner-
ship of it,” she said.
Ho, who grew up attend-
ing the Mid-Autumn Festival
in Hong Kong and has taught
architecture for more than 20
years, helped Christian refine
her art installation to a more
vertically oriented display to
hang along the garden’s story
wall.
On Wednesday, Christian
walked into local eclectic Jeff
Daly’s underground workshop
with boxes of white LED lights
and red lanterns. She started
constructing a full-scale model
of her installation, slated to go
up Sept. 13 to Sept. 17 in the
garden next to Astoria City Hall.
Strands of LED lights will
hang down like a curtain across
30 feet of the garden’s story
wall on either side of the circu-
lar moon gate. On each strand
will hang six or seven red lan-
terns, along with another three
yellow lanterns above the
moon gate.
Christian has organized a
pre-event at the Astoria Pub-
lic Library 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 9 to promote the event.
The event will include chil-
dren’s stories from “Thank-
ing the Moon: Celebrating the
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival,”
a book being donated to the
library by Ho.
Honoring all Astorians
A community celebration
of the Mid-Autumn Festival is
from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16
— the night of the full moon.
The North Coast Chorale will
play translated Chinese songs.
Christian is also bringing in
speakers with Chinese heritage
to talk about their experiences
in Astoria.
One of the speakers will be
local real estate agent Victor
Kee, the son of Chinese immi-
grant Sing Hee Leong, a bar-
ber who served many of the
region’s laborers. When Chris-
tian reached out, Kee said, her
idea brought up memories of
his own childhood with his
mother.
“I got to remember all the
times come August or Septem-
ber, we’d get on the train, go
spend a couple weeks in San
Francisco.”
Kee said he hopes the event
will lead to a better archiving
of Chinese history in Astoria.
“I think all the ethnic groups of
Astoria should be doing that,”
he said, warning that time is
running out as older genera-
tions pass away.
“I’m just hoping to raise
more awareness,” Christian
said. “I just think it’s important
to learn about all the groups that
helped build Astoria.”
Clatsop County Historical Society
Chinese immigrants were often employed as cheap labor for the region’s canneries.
Hospice Volunteers Needed
In the absence of a cure, care makes all the difference
Cumtux Magazine
Astoria’s Regatta Festival hits the streets of Chinatown in 1900.
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