Pacific Alliance Medical Center

Pacific Alliance Medical Center. The French Hospital. , French Roots , Between 1850 and 1860, French and French Canadian immigration to Los Angeles exceeded that of all other nations. In 1883, a French-language newspaper, Le Progrès, began publication. Damien Marchessault, a French-Canadian mining speculator, was elected mayor of Los Angeles from 1859 to 1860 and, again, from 1861 to 1865. A French sea captain, Joseph Mascarel, was mayor from 1865 to 1866. During this time, French was the second most widely spoken language in Los Angeles after Spanish and before English. As a result, when General McDowell came to Los Angeles on an official visit at the conclusion of the Civil War he was interviewed in French. , The French established Los Angeles' first vineyard and were responsible for the laying of the first residential water pipes. They supplied the city with ice and salt, and they opened bakeries and restaurants. The influence of many of these early pioneers can be found in street names such as Beaudry, Bernard, Sentous, and Vignes. , On March 1, 1860, the French Benevolent Society was formed to build a hospital that would be open to all, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Members contributed an initial $2 when joining and paid a monthly fee of $1. The accumulated revenues led to the laying of the adobe cornerstone on October 4, 1869. Rumor has it that one section of the orignal adobe structure is still encased within what once was called the French Hospital. , In 1991 the hospital became the Pacific Alliance Medical Center (PAMC). The PAMC Health Foundation will soon open a skilled nursing facility on Hill Street. This 150-bed facility will feature a multilingual staff, Asian cuisine, and culturally sensitive programming. An Asian-landscaped garden will enhance the grounds and lend a sense of serenity to the facility's residents. , Mission Work , Western religious communities also provided much needed comfort to Chinatown's residents. From the first arrival of the Chinese in San Francisco in the late 1840s, Christian groups sought to convert the new arrivals. These early evangelists, however, had little respect for the Chinese or their customs, often condemning potential converts for their "debasing superstitions." For their part, the Chinese considered themselves only temporary visitors to the U.S., here merely to save money and go home. This attitude, along with the discrimination and hardship they experienced in the new land, made for unreceptive candidates for conversion. , Outreach later extended to Chinese women. The mission women taught their immigrant counterparts about Christmas and Christmas shopping, introduced them to midwives, and held Bible study classes. Perhaps most important to the spread of Western religions in the Chinese community was the decision to begin holding Chinese-language classes for children. Children of Chinese descent who regularly attended Sunday services and Sunday school could also attend Chinese class. Here, they learned not only to be literate in Chinese but also became educated about the history and culture of China.