Downtown Oakland in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Oakland’s Chinatowns
Wa Sung Community Service Club
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
1. Oakland’s Chinatowns Marker
Captions: (lower left) This montage is titled “Oakland, a California Wonder, 1907” and depicts exotic scenes in the city. At the top left is 8th and Webster, the center of Chinatown. The woman in the center is a Japanese geisha and the image at the top right is actually a Japanese Tea House in Piedmont.; (top right) Northeast corner of 7th and Broadway, early 1940s. At that time, Broadway was the western boundary of the 8th and Webster Chinatown.; (center right) Webster and Eight Streets, the heart of Chinatown’s business district in 1958.; (bottom right) This postcard shows a Chinatown commercial street in the late 1800s.; (bottom center) Chinatown depicted as a fishing village at the foot of Castro Street, 1870s. Another fishing camp was located nearby at 4th and Clay streets. At the time, these sites were by the water’s edge.
One Community, Many Locations
Chinese first settled in Oakland in the 18502 during the California Gold Rush. Unlike San Francisco’s Chinatown, Oakland’s Chinese community remained relatively small in the 1800s. Faced with the same challenges and obstacles as other Chinese settlements of the time, the Chinese were constantly being relocated outside of desirable neighborhoods. In 1880, the site of today’s Chinatown, centered at 8th and Webster Streets, was established and has been here ever since. Today, Chinatown plays host to a vibrant community made up of people from many Asian countries.
From Baseball Beginnings
The Wa Sung Community Service Club got its start as an all-Chinese baseball team in the early 1920s. From a social club call the Chinese 9 emerged a semipro baseball team called the Wa Sung Athletic Club. The ball club was popular and competed with many teams in the area until it disbanded in 1938. During that time, they began sponsoring community and social events in Oakland, fostering the reuniting of the club in 1952 and the founding of the Wa Sung Service Club. Committed to supporting the community and especially youth, the club has grown to over 150 dedicated men and women from many
this page online
Erected by Wa Sung Community Service Club.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Charity & Public Work • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 37° 48.004′ N, 122° 16.105′ W. Marker has been damaged. Marker is in Oakland, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Oakland. Marker can be reached from 10th Street near Alice Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 250 10th Street, Oakland CA 94607, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. A Chinese Junk Boat for Oakland (a few steps from this marker); Masters of Navigation (a few steps from this marker); Asian Resource Center (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of College of California (approx. ¼ mile away); Alameda County Courthouses (approx. ¼ mile away); Waterfront Warehouse District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Western States Grocery (approx. 0.3 miles away); C.L. Greeno Pacific Coast Headquarters (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oakland.
More about this marker. This marker is in Lincoln Park near the 'Chinese Junk'.
Also see . . .
October 3, 2020
2. Oakland’s Chinatowns Marker - now in poor condition
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
3. Detail from Oakland’s Chinatowns Marker
Map Key
1. 14th & Washington, 1850s
2. 17th & Telegraph, burnt down 1867
3. 19th & San Pablo, 1867-1880s
4. 22nd & San Pablo, 1867-1880s
5. 1st & Castro, 1870s-1880s
6. 4th & Clay, shrimp camp
7. 8th & Webster, business center, 1880-present
8. 4th & Madison area, post 1906 earthquake refugee settlement
9. Post WW II settlement
1. 14th & Washington, 1850s
2. 17th & Telegraph, burnt down 1867
3. 19th & San Pablo, 1867-1880s
4. 22nd & San Pablo, 1867-1880s
5. 1st & Castro, 1870s-1880s
6. 4th & Clay, shrimp camp
7. 8th & Webster, business center, 1880-present
8. 4th & Madison area, post 1906 earthquake refugee settlement
9. Post WW II settlement
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
4. Wa Sung Community Service Club Marker
Captions: (bottom left) The 1931 Wa Sung Athletic Club baseball team. The year earlier, Coach Al Huie remarked the “We were one of the best semi-pro teams around Oakland – and the only Chinese team.”; (center) Cultural and recreational activities and programs, such as the Junk Boat Project, are supported.; (top right) The Club holds events that foster relations and understanding. Easter Pancake Breakfast, “A Chef’s Delight<” and numerous holiday programs have been traditional community activities. Scholarship programs, like Merit Award Scholarships, have aided Asian youth since 1958. Education grants have provided valuable supplemental materials and programs to neighborhood schools and non-profit organizations.; (bottom right) A bilingual Community Directory has been published for over 40 years. The Wa Sung Community Service Club assists those of Asian heritage in the Oakland-East Bay Area by providing community and educational services.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
5. Wa Sung Community Service Club, Junk Boat Project 2003 plaque
Click on image to enlarge.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
6. Wa Sung Community Service Club Play Area plaque
Click on image to enlarge.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
7. Oakland’s Chinatowns Marker
Junk Boat Project in the background.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2014
8. Oakland’s Chinatowns Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 649 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 4, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 2. submitted on October 5, 2020. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on April 4, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
