The Californian from Salinas, California • 4

Californlan SPECIAL REPORT CHINATOWN Monday, November 28, 2005 171 WallyAhtye, A man poses with his car in 1930 on Salinas' Soledad Street. shown in 1932 on Soledad Street, where he grew up, is still active in Salinas' Chinese 1 41 If nf.v 7 a 5 I A yyni rHH- fcM COURTESY OF WALLYAHTYE COURTESY OF WALLYAHTYE i -r rx i i i i 1 I SCOTT MACDONALDTHE SALINAS CALIFORNIAN Parker Chin looks around the old Republic Cafe, 37 Soledad St. in Salinas, on Aug. 31. The building, which once hosted many gatherings of Salinas' Chinese community, has been vacant since 1988.

It's now owned by the Ahtye family. TIMELINE Key dates in the history of Salinas' Soledad Street Chinatown: Chinatown moved one block east Salinas' first Chinatown formed off of East Lake Street between North Main and Pajaro streets. A fire in 1893 burned down the wooden dwellings, and the service center for farm laborers moved one block east. 6 PiT.v.ii COURTESY OF WALLY AHTYE rp Students and teachers gather for a group photo in front of Salinas' Chinese School in 1939. 1 I 1 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act signed into law, restricting Chinese laborers and women from entering the country.

1893: Fire burns Salinas' original Chinatown. Eugene Sherwood, co-founder of Salinas, signs agreement to lease Soledad Street lot to six Chinese men. 1900-1910: Small Japantown forms on north side of Lake Street. 1912: Several Chinese were killed over disagreements over gambling territory or prostitutes. 1913: The California Alien Land Laws of 1913 restricted aliens ineligible for citizenship Chinese and Japanese from owning property.

1926: The Salinas Buddhist Temple is built at 14 California St. 1936: The Filipino Community Church is built at 21 California St. 1937: The Salinas Confucius Church is built at 1 California St. 1942: Japanese Americans across the country are sent to internment camps during World War II. 1943: Chinese Exclusion Act is repealed.

1959: Victory Mission, a Christian homeless shelter, opens at 43 Soledad St. RYAN GLENNTHE SALINAS CALIFORNIAN Salinas ifn Sherwood AiL Council votes to make California Street a dead end at Market Way. They also agree to make Lake Alley and Bridge Street into one-way northbound lanes. 1994: A partnership between the Buddhist Temple and the Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra is formed to move Dorothy's Place to the Green Gold Inn. December 2004: Use permit for Dorothy's place is extended for two years.

April 2005: California State University, Monterey Bay, and Dorothy's Place present a vision for redevelopment in Chinatown. 1961: Homes and businesses in Chinatown were demolished due to the federal program of Urban Renewal. 1985: The Swinging Door relocates from Market Street to 47 Soledad St. 1987: A crackdown against drugs and prostitution in Chinatown begins. The Salinas City Council approves zoning changes in the Soledad Street neighborhood to dilute the number of bars in the area.

1991: The Salinas Buddhist Temple fights against renewal of use permit for the Swinging Door. 1992: The Salinas City RYAN GLENNTHE SALINAS CALIFORNIAN.