Where is the earliest Chinatown in America?

Chinatown, usually called Chinatown, China City, Chinese District or Chinatown. It is the residence or residential area of overseas Chinese. As early as the Ming Dynasty, Chinatown had been formed, and at that time it had become an important base for China immigrants' overseas activities.

Chinatown, usually called Chinatown, China City, Chinese District or Chinatown. It is the residence or residential area of overseas Chinese. It is generally believed that since the Tang Dynasty, more and more China people have lived abroad. They call themselves "Tangren", "Tangjiazi" and "Tangshan Hakka" and call their motherland "Tangshan", hence the name Chinatown. Chinese and foreign overseas Chinese historians have written about the history and present situation of Chinatown in a region or a country, but few people have comprehensively discussed the historical evolution of Chinatown around the world. This paper attempts to summarize the formation and characteristics of Chinatown around the world (mainly in the Pacific region); The role of Chinatown in the development of world history; Changes of Chinatown after World War II; And the future of Chinatown. The author knows little about the history of overseas Chinese in the world, so this article is only a preliminary attempt, trying to get a clue to some of his shallow thoughts as the first step to further study this issue.

First, the formation and characteristics of Chinatown

Historically, the formation of Chinatown can be roughly divided into two stages: the early stage (before16th century) and the western colonial period (after16th century).

In addition to the natural migration of the prehistoric Chinese mainland population, China people's overseas activities began in the Qin and Han Dynasties. Except for the legendary Xu Fu who went to Japan and some China people who emigrated to Korea and Vietnam, although pottery fragments of the Han Dynasty were found on the east coast of Malay Peninsula, the west coast of Kalimantan and the west of Java Island, there was no evidence that China people had begun to settle in Southeast Asia at that time. The discovery of Tang tombs in the Philippines and other places proves that China people migrated to Southeast Asia in the Tang Dynasty. However, with regard to the remains of the earliest overseas settlements in the Tang Dynasty, except for some tombs in the Tang Dynasty, they are nowhere to be found today. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the number of China people who emigrated overseas gradually increased. By the Ming Dynasty, the early Chinatown had been formed and became an important base for China immigrants to emigrate overseas.

The early Chinatown was the product of China's peaceful management. At first, China people went abroad to make a living because they were not familiar with the local language. In order to communicate with each other, take care of each other, help each other and make a living, most of them are willing to live together, which gives them a sense of security. Later, they gradually set up stalls and shops, operated restaurants, inns and grocery stores, built ancestral temples and temples, and set up various chambers of commerce, guilds, private schools or Chinese schools, gradually forming the life center of China immigrants in the local area. This is the general process of the formation of Chinatown. Chinatown appeared on the main routes of international trade at that time, as well as the coastal areas from China businessmen to Japan in the north and Indonesia in the south. Different from the western colonialists, the activities of Chinese Americans are purely private business activities without the support of the state. China people generally don't use violence or conquest, except that the maritime armed group headed by Liang occupied the old port (Dagang) of Sumatra Island and carried out armed self-defense to deal with pirate attacks and plunder. The early Chinatown was naturally formed in the process of peaceful trade. At first, Chinatown was temporary and not the permanent residence of Chinese businessmen. Early Chinese businessmen were very mobile, and they frequently traveled to and from China, Japan, Southeast Asia and other places. They just temporarily live in Chinatown for reasons such as waiting for the monsoon and buying local products. In some places, such as Sulu, local residents even take some China businessmen hostage to ensure that China merchant ships come to trade every year.

According to the archaeological data found, one of the earliest Chinatowns in Southeast Asia was China, which was located on the northeast coast of Sumatra Island in Indonesia from 12 to 14 century. The architectural remains, statues, treasures, bronzes, ancient coins and ceramics found in this historical site show that this ancient city was the commercial center of the region at that time, and it was an area where China businessmen and other foreign businessmen lived together. It not only established direct trade relations with South India and China, but also was the center of the trade network connecting Sumatra. The business activities of Chinese businessmen have obviously had a great influence on local residents, so that the Pidi people in the northeast of Sumatra, who are famous for their business, are still called "Cina China". The north shore of Java Island is also one of the earliest areas where Chinatown appeared. /kloc-At the beginning of the 5th century, China people from Guangdong and Fujian lived in coastal towns in northern Java, such as Duban, gelsey (also known as Xincun and Jinshi) and Sulumayi (Surabaya). They live a good life, and some even become local leaders or village owners. Manila (Luzon) in the Philippines is also one of the early Chinatowns. "Because there are many people in China in Luzon, they often stay for a long time, so they are called Dongya. They made a living by the river (now Tangduo area in Manila), gradually reaching tens of thousands of people, and occasionally the eldest son and grandson were cut off. " Although the situation described here was after the Spanish colonists invaded the Philippines, before the Spanish colonists invaded, the phenomenon of Chinese businessmen "pressing winter" Luzon already existed, but the number was not as much as that at the end of 16. In Hoi An, southern Vietnam, a large-scale early Chinatown also appeared. [7]/Kloc-Shi Dashan, who visited Hui 'an at the end of 0/7, described the Chinatown in Hui 'an at that time in the Overseas Chronicle: "Gai Hui 'an National Passenger and Freight Wharf, with a coastal straight street of three or four miles, is called Datang Street. To get to know Fujian people, you should dress up first and trade with women. Anyone who wants to do it must marry a woman to make a deal. "/kloc-In the middle of the 7th century, there were about 5,000 Chinese businessmen in Hui 'an Chinatown, and by the end of 18, the number had increased to 6,000. Zhou Daguan mentioned in his book "Local Customs in Zhenla" that by the end of 13, "Tang people" had lived in Zhenla (today's Cambodia) and married Cambodian women. By the Ming Dynasty, the population of Chinatown in Cambodia not only increased, but also had its own management organization. It is recorded in "Examining the East and Examining the West" that Limu in Zhenlai "takes wood as the city and the place where Chinese tourists live", and says that "those who plow the fields are the leaders themselves." "

Ming dynasty, unwilling to be ruled by Qing dynasty.