Removal wasn’t enough. They burned it down.
May 4, 1887: San Jose’s Chinatown was destroyed in an arson fire.
Chinese immigrants began arriving in California during the Gold Rush.
They worked the mines, built the transcontinental railroad, and helped develop farms, fisheries, and local economies. By 1870, about 63,000 Chinese people lived in the United States, most of them in California.
They built lives where they could.
In San Jose, Chinatown became one of the largest Chinese communities in the state. Located in the heart of downtown, it was home to workers, families, businesses, and a growing cultural center.
Gold Rush miners, c. 1850s. Drawn by opportunity and survival alike, men from around the world converged on California, reshaping lives and fortunes for many.
Photo by Andrew J. Russell
The celebratory photograph of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion, May 10, 1869. Thousands of Chinese laborers built it. None appeared in the frame.
Chinese American fishermen, Monterey, California, 1875. Chinese immigrants played a major role in developing the state’s fishing industry.
Courtesy of the British Columbia Archives
Anti-Chinese poster announcing the Chinese Exclusion Act, May 6, 1882. A reflection of openly expressed anti-Chinese sentiment.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Anti-Chinese riot, Denver, Colorado, 1880. One of many violent attacks against Chinese communities across the United States in the late 19th century.
A Target From the Beginning
Their presence was never accepted.
Chinese immigrants were denied basic rights. They could not become citizens, own land freely, marry white Americans, or attend public schools. Violence and intimidation were common, and the courts rarely protected them.
In San Jose, complaints began early.
The first Chinese residents began residing in the city in 1866. But less than four years later, white residents were already pressuring the city council to remove Chinatown. Soon after, the original Chinese settlement burned to the ground while the fire department did little to intervene.
But the community rebuilt. And grew again.
Unanimous Vote
By the 1880s, San Jose’s second Chinatown had grown to about 1,400 residents. It occupied most of a downtown block. It was visible. It was successful. And it was targeted.
On March 24, 1887, the city council declared Chinatown a public nuisance. Local leaders — including the mayor, police chief, and fire chief — testified publicly.
The message was clear: Chinatown had to go. The council voted unanimously to remove it.
But before any official action could be carried out, it was enforced another way.
Courtesy of History San Jose Research Library and Archives
Bird’s-eye view of San Jose’s Chinatown, 1887. The community had grown to about 1,400 residents.
C. W. Breyfogle, mayor of San Jose in 1887, who led the city’s push to remove Chinatown.
Courtesy of History San Jose Research Library and Archives
The Second Market Street Chinatown during the arson fire, San Jose, 1887. Many white residents celebrated the destruction, and local newspapers praised it.
Courtesy of History San Jose Research Library and Archives
The Second Market Street Chinatown after the arson fire, San Jose, 1887. About 1,400 Chinese American residents lost their homes.
They Couldn’t Wait
On May 4, 1887, Chinatown burned to the ground.
It was arson.
White residents watched as the fire spread. Many rejoiced. Newspapers praised the destruction. About 1,400 people lost their homes and businesses overnight.
The next day, the city moved forward. Officials approved funding for a new City Hall on the site of the former Chinatown, and specified that no Chinese labor would be used in its construction.
The displaced community scattered. Some moved temporarily. Others relocated to new Chinatowns, including Heinlenville, built with the support of German immigrant John Heinlen, despite threats to his life. Even that would not last.
What Remains
Today, little remains of San Jose’s once-thriving Chinatowns.
In the 1980s, archaeological excavations uncovered thousands of artifacts buried beneath the city.
In 2021, San Jose formally apologized for its role in the destruction and discrimination faced by Chinese immigrants and their descendants. After more than a century had passed.
San Jose, with a population of over 1 million, is the largest city in the country to formally apologize to Chinese communities for its treatment of their ancestors.
The burning of San Jose’s Chinatown was not an isolated event. It was part of a long history that targeted Chinese and other Asian communities across California and the United States.
Photo by Fastily / Wikimedia Commons
The Fairmont Hotel stands on the site of one of California’s largest Chinatowns, destroyed in the 1887 arson fire.
A memorial plaque marks the site where San Jose’s Chinatown was destroyed by arson in 1887. More than a century later, this is what remains.
Courtesy of History San Jose Research Library and Archives
Chinatown on the east side of Market Street Plaza, San Jose, 1887. It could have become one of the largest Chinatowns in the country today had it not been destroyed by arson.