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Gwenonwyn Knoop
FRINQ: Portland Theme
12102015

Neighborhood Project: Lone Fir Cemetery

During the 1800s China was facing some internal struggles. To understand why
they where attracted to coming to America, I had to understand why they wanted to
leave China. In the 1700s China had the highest economic stance. All of Asia, Europe,
and America relied on their trade goods to survive. Because of their stance with the
world China was boosting rapidly, leading to more population of people in which the
government thought to tax them on food, clothes and other supplies. This led to
rebellion, and weakened the central government. By the 1800s the Opium War broke
out. Britain was illegally smuggling The drug called opium into china which led to many
problems within their society. This was a reason for many Chinese citizens to want to
leave, and the opportunity to work in America drew them in as well. They had heard of
all the gold that was found in California and Oregon and called them the Gum San,
which means Land of the Golden Mountain.

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Many men proceeded to immigrate to Oregon and California. Mostly men; barely
any women or children. Many young men left their families behind thinking they would
return to China after they had made money. However, they would soon realize how
different their image of their lives in America would be.
In Oregon, many of the Chinese worked in mines and on the railroad track as it
stretched north as it was being build. In Portland however, many worked on building the
city. Portland was actually known as a more tolerant city. Throughout America there
was many social injustice within the Chinese community. They faced harsh
discrimination, racism, and abuse daily. They where seen as taking peoples jobs, but
where hired because they would work for such cheap labor. In 1882 there was even a
law passed which made it illegal for Chinese to work for ten years. When this happened
many cities saw a decrease in Chinese populations, except for Portland which actually
saw an increase. Chinese workers and civilians where treated more respectably in
Portland. They where treated more equally here than in other major cities. Even though
they couldnt own property, they where allowed to own their own business which was
treated as if a white person owned and operated it. Slowly Chinatown was being
established and many Chinese immigrants flourished there. They operated laundry
mats, restaurants, Produce shops, and other local business that required a spacial skill.
Of course there are stories of certain people wanting to get rid of the Chinese population

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in Oregon. Such as, an arsonist setting fire to a Chinese laundry mat to try to get them
evicted because the fire caused so much damage. However the government said that
the fire had been on a different street and covered for the Chinese due to their low wage
cost of working. The Chinese immigrants who came to portland even dug up the stumps
in the roads to advance the city.
The citys cemetery, The Lone Fir Cemetery, had a designated area in which
the Immigrants could be buried. It was called Block 14 and was known as the Chinese
Burial Grounds. It was Chinese tradition to have their bones be sent back to their
ancestors in China. So their families and friends would bury them here, and then they
would be dug up and shipped back to china. The Chinese where very thankful for this
burial ground. However in 1948, the Multnomah county wanted that space to use for a
maintenance yard for the highway and dug it up with a bulldozer. And many of the
remaining bones where sent to China. During the time I have spend in Portland it is
quite obvious all over the city how much pride the residents take in it. People have
worked really hard to make this city really nice and beautiful. With tons of art
everywhere and people trying to keep it clean. Of course like every city there are the
homeless, and other factors that every city has, but Portland is very unique and special.
A lot of efforts that have been put into making Portland such a special place is due to all
the immigrants, without their skill Portland would not have been this advanced.

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Eventually they found jobs fishing, working in the markets, building houses, and more
jobs that needed to be filled around the city, and become apart of the community.
The Lone Fir Cemetery has been located across the river since 1846. It was first
a private property burial ground and Emmor Stevens was its first occupant. Over the
years they expanded and made the area for the Chinese, and the deceased asylum
patients, and opened a new section called Chestnut Grove Memorial Garden for people
who wanted to be cremated. There are more than 25,000 people buried in the 30 acre
cemetery.
As our group analyzes the relations the people who are buried here have
connected, changed, and conflicted over the years, we must look at the different
situations of society at different times. Many Chinese immigrants are buried in a
separate area than the rest of the people, and same with the patients of Dr. James C.
Hawthorne. The public raised almost 2 million dollars to make this happen, but has not
yet been completed.
The reason for the Memorial is because the cemetery was mostly for Chinese
deaths, and when their bodies had decayed and only their bones where left they would
get shipped back to China to be with their family. Chinese immigrants are a big part of
why Portland is successful today and the community wants to honor them.

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Throughout my time in this class it has made me reflect on who I am and what I
contribute to my surrounding. It has also made me look at what the environment around
me has done to me and how it effects me. When I lived in Holland I definitely had a
different outlook on life. I always thought it was because I was little and didnt know
much. But after going back this summer I realized that it was just the feeling of being
home. You know you belong somewhere, and that it will always be there for you. Here I
feel more of an outsider and that many of the people in my pool of friends dont see
things the same way I do. This made me think about how the Chinese immigrants might
have felt when they left their home. In search of new and editing things, which they did
find eventually, they journey here to achieve their goals was long. They faced many hard
struggles and I dont know how they did it. I feel like an outsider, and I am treated with
respect and kindness. I really admire the Chinese Immigrants for their strength and
perseverance. They worked so hard to build many cities and got treated os terribly.
While they longed for home, their culture, traditions, and family.
As I was making these connections, it interested me how in fact our surrounding
area does have an unbelievable impact on us. Places really mean something to people.
Its almost like a location, an environment, a place, anything thats surrounding you has a
life of its own. It lives, it gives off an energy that effect us. It changes our moods, our
thoughts, feelings, emotions, even our outlook on life. When I took a trip down to where

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all the homeless people camp out, it made me feel sad, and like I wanted to help them. I
wonder if the universe is guiding us this way to do good things.
Throughout this next year, I will be more connected to the people, and city here. I
will look for further for more connection and be more open to accepting new feelings
and energies that the environments give me.

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