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The titles of several of Situ’s San Francisco Chinatown
paintings include the dates 1904, 1905 and 1906. The early 20th
century was a pivotal time for this community.
Chinatown was a vibrant commercial center where goods and
services between the two cultures were exchanged and the success
of the Chinese drew some negative attention as well. Anti-Chinese
immigration laws had been passed and renewed and in 1904, a publicly
traded company was incorporated with the goal of acquiring most
of the land in Chinatown and dislocating the residents to an
outlying area. This goal seemed easily achievable after the earthquake
and fire of 1906. Chinatown was one of the worst hit areas and
the Chinese-American businessmen and landlords organized to rebuild
quickly. That effort, combined with the recognition of the economic
value of Chinatown and international pressure, served to ensure
that San Francisco’s Chinese community would stay in the
neighborhood they had started back in the Gold Rush days of the
mid-19th century.
“In this painting I focused on the two Chinese children's
expressions as they encountered an American girl” said the
artist. “In my Chinatown scenes, I always try to incorporate
an element of cultural crossroads.” |