City of Santa Ana unveils Chinatown Memorial acknowledging burning of community 120 years ago

On Saturday, May 23, the City of Santa Ana unveiled a memorial monument honoring Santa Ana's historic Chinatown, celebrating a community that helped shape the early foundation of our city, while also acknowledging a painful chapter in our history. The unveiling ceremony took place almost exactly 120 years to the day since Chinatown was burned down on May 25, 1906.

In 1906, the City unjustly declared Chinatown a public nuisance and ordered that it be burned, later building a new City Hall in its place. This act of discrimination and exclusion displaced Chinese residents and merchants. In 2022, the Santa Ana City Council formally apologized to Chinese immigrants and their descendants for this and other acts of injustice.

The ceremony was led by Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, and Councilmembers Thai Viet Phan, Benjamin Vazquez, Jessie Lopez, Phil Bacerra and Johnathan Ryan Hernandez. They were joined by City Manager Alvaro Nuñez, many members of our Chinese American community and other Santa Ana residents who came out to show their support.

The memorial is located at the northeast corner of 3rd and Bush streets, facing the original Chinatown site on 3rd Street between Bush and Main streets, and tells the story of this history. It will serve to both educate Santa Ana residents about our past and serve as a symbol of dignity, recognition, and reconciliation.