Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the American Book Award
San Francisco Chinatown is the first book of its kind—an insider''s guide to one of America''s most celebrated ethnic enclaves by an author born and raised there. Written by architect and Chinese American studies pioneer Philip P. Choy, the book details the triumphs and tragedies of the Chinese American experience in the U.S. Both a history of America''s oldest and most famous Chinese community and a guide to its significant sites and architecture, San Francisco Chinatown traces the development of the neighborhood from the city''s earliest days to its post-quake transformation into an Oriental tourist attraction as a pragmatic means of survival. Featuring a building-by-building breakdown of the most significant sites in Chinatown, the guide is lavishly illustrated with historical and contemporary photographs and offers walking tours for tourists and locals alike.
A stunning new guidebook. . . . Hi
Trade Review
"Philip P. Choy's San Francisco Chinatown: A Guide to Its History and Architecture is just what local and out-of-town tourists have wanted and needed... History buffs will be amazed by the wealth of lore, legend and radiant fact."--San Francisco Chronicle "San Francisco Chinatown illuminates the untold history of the enclave... to consider the political, historical, and cultural implications of Chinatown's very existence."--San Francisco Bay Guardian "Choy's book is easily read while walking, and fits easily into a jacket pocket. His descriptions are typically no more than two pages and are always accompanied by a large photo ... I emphasize these qualities because the most important feature of a guidebook is that it is useable. And Choy has met this test."--Beyond Chron
