Ruffians and Rascals
On September 17, 1859 this Rice Broker declared himself “Emperor of the United States” and later added protectorate of Mexico”
Emperor Norton
This was San Francisco’s signature cocktail until the 1940s, containing brandy, bitters, pineapple and “secret ingredients” (among which were cocoa leaves, the ingredient for making cocaine).
Pisco Punch!
1857 was the first date of one of San Francisco’s most spectactular and now yearly anticipated events.
Lunar New Year Festival and Parade
Calle de la Foundation, now called Grant Street, remained this to most Chinese elders up into the 20th century.
What is Dupont Street?
This third century Chinese card game was wildly popular in San Francisco throughout the 19th and early 20th century SF. Though gambling was practiced by most of the population, fingers were pointed at these parlors as the anti-Chinese sentiment rose in the lat 19th century.
What is Fan Tan?
After the completion of the rail roads in 1879, this rabble rouser labor leader used the rally cry, “The Chinese Must Go”
Dennis Kearney
This popular Cantonese cuisine translates as "point or dot" plus "heart". People agree it is comfort food, so it touches the heart, but can also be read as "hitting the spot".
What is Dim Sum?
Noel Toy was key to the success of this club, originally opened in 1938. She was billed as "The Chinese Sally Rand" and signaled a new era in Chinatown entertainment. There is a documentary and book by the same name, written by Author Dong
What is The Forbidden City?
Temples such as Tien How temple and Ma Tsu were once referred to as Joss houses after a corruption of this Portuguese word.
What is "god"
Following on the scapegoating of the Chinese population in San Francisco the Victorians blamed this frightening outbreak on things in China Town such as temple incense, bbq and opium smoke and general debauchery.
What was the Bubonic Plague?
This term is another San Francisco original for the disenfranchised youths who tormented the Chinese often by surrounding them and cutting off their cues.
What is Hoodlum?
Ami, the owner's gregarious pooch who gave every impression of being the proprietor, which may have been how the name for this establishment caught on...unless the local denizens wouldn't or couldn't pronounce its real name.
The Poodle Dog
Once called "the flower garden" by the older Chinese population, this area was the center of boom town San Francisco. Now, because much of the Chinatown populace lives in very tight quarters, it is Chinatown's living room. Well before that, in 1846 the American Flag was raised in the square by John Montgomery, who had sailed in on this ship.
What was the USS Portsmouth?
This first Chinese Temple in the United States is dedicated to the Queen of Heaven and ruler of the seven seas. She is protector of women in distress, seafarers, gamblers and actors.
What is the T’ien How temple?
After the Earthquake and fire of 1906, a loophole was created. Birth records had been destroyed in the fire at City Hall. Chinese men could claim birth in US, return to China and claim their wives had born a child-who would be allowed to come back to the US. These oportunities were sold by brokers as "slots" for these new kinds of immigrants.
Who are "Paper Sons/Daughters"
In 1867 a Tong battle between the Suey Sing and Kwong Duck Tong was fought on this alley over a love triangle involving a woman known as "the Golden peach" leaving three dead and twelve injured.
What is Waverly Place?
This Amaro, widely consumed in San Francisco's bar and hospitality scene is known as the secret handshake among San Francisco bartenders.
Fernet Branca
If you want to walk in the steps of Anthony Bourdain, stop by for a Chinese Mai Thai at Li Po Lounge, an 87 year old dive bar named after a great Chinese Poet who wrote frequently about drunkedness. Connie will ask if you want it this way if you get on her good side.
What is "Extra Delicious"?
This building was run down when Francis Ford Coppola bought it from the Kingston Trio in the 1970s. It was originally built for San Francisco’s Crime Boss, Abe Reuf, who moved in after it was completed following the earthquake and fire of 1906.
What is The Sentinel Building?
From Christmas Eve 1849 - June 1851, Portsmouth Square and the surrounding 14 blocks burned nearly to the ground in 6 fires, 4 of which were strongly suspected to be the work of this notorious gang.
Who were the Sydney Ducks?
16 year old Dorothea Ellingson, who regularly slung back Gin at the New Shanghai cafe in Chinatown in 1925 went on trial for the Murder of her Mother in the Richmonds District in a fit of this new mental illness coined by the media of the time…
What is Jazz mania?
This long time Chinatown Establishment, Hang Far Low, has been around for over a hundred years. It was under new management in the 1960s as Four Seas, a banquet staple for the Chinese community until it was taken over in 2006 and given the name more correctly Romanized than the immigration officer gave his family.
Mister Jiu's
This German Photographer and Bon Vivant was famous for giving us the only photographic record of Chinatown before 1906-some 200 pictures, though he doctored out Western details and replaced them at times with nonsense Chinese.
Arnold Genthe
The name of this business, staffed almost entirely by women operators after the 1906 quake and fire was named for its prefix.
The China 5 Exchange (CH5)
This superintendent of the Scottish Mission Home was called "Lo Mo" (Beloved Mother) or "Fahn Quai" (White Witch) depending who you asked. Together with her translator, Tien Fun Wu, who herself was rescued from slavery in 1894, they saved over 3,000 girls around the turn of the 20th century in Chinatown.
Who was Donaldina Cameron?