Eastern Avenue Chinese Cemetery

Eastern Avenue Chinese Cemetery. . , The initial wave of Chinese immigration to California began in the mid-1800's. As their Caucasian counterparts, the Chinese first came to prospect for gold, but their formidable enthusiasm and energies were soon to be relegated to quasi-slave labour, in the construction of railroads, farms and cities. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 well evidences the severe discrimination and harsh living conditions to which the Chinese immigrants were subjected. , Even in the afterlife, the Chinese could not escape these perverse discriminatory practices, for even in death were they subjected to deprivation of common civil rights, by the denial of proper burial sites, alongside other ethnic groups. Rather, they were obligated to be interred in random, unidentifiable plots, in common fields. As a result, sacred remains often were not identified, and thus remained unclaimed. , In 1922, in order to ameliorate the discriminatory practices of days past, with donations from the Chinese community, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA ) was able to purchase land, and to establish the Chinese Cemetery, on the corner of Eastern Avenue and First Street, in East Los Angeles. However, for prolonged periods of time, monetary contributions tended to wane, and by the cemetery's 85th anniversary, it had fallen into a state of considerable disrepair. , In 2006, in recognition of its solemn civic duties, the Chinese Cemetery Board of Trustees, under the guidance of the CCBA, formed the Eastern Avenue Chinese Cemetery Restoration Committee, for the purpose of raising funds for the repair, modernization and direction of a restoration project of the Eastern Avenue Chinese Cemetery. , In addition to the reparation and restoration of the existing facilities, a special Memorial Pavilion was erected. It features a monument in dedication to the tireless efforts of restoration made by the community. This Pavilion serves as a perpetual reminder to current and future generations of the Herculean efforts made by the pioneer Chinese ancestors, without whose personal sacrifices, discriminatory practices against Chinese might well have continued unabated. , In 2007, the Eastern Avenue Chinese Cemetery Restoration Committee held a banquet in order to bring attention to and raise funding necessary for the restoration project. This effort was met with overwhelming response and enthusiasm by the community and within a short period of time adequate funding to commence plans and construction was obtained. , As a permanent measure of the community's profound appreciation, the names of major donors to the project have been engraved into the monument. , Sincerely, Michael Cheung, President of the CCBA. Joe Chiu, Chairman of Chinese Cemetery.