Overview

In the 1800s, when California was captivated by gold fever, a small group of Chinese immigrants recognized the fortune to be made from the untapped resources along the Pacific coast, particularly from harvesting the black abalone of southern and Baja California. These immigrants, with skills from humble beginnings in a traditional Chinese fishing province, founded California’s commercial abalone industry and led its growth and expansion for several decades. Today, the physical evidence of historical Chinese abalone fishing on the mainland has been erased by development. On California’s Channel Islands, however, remnants of temporary abalone collecting and processing camps lie scattered along the coastlines. These sites hold a treasure trove of information, stories, lifeways, and history. Todd Braje uses them to explore the history of Chinese abalone fishing, presenting a microcosm of the broader history of Chinese immigrants in America.

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9781607814962

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Reviews

Although other authors have documented aspects ofthe rise and fall of commercial abalone fishing, to my knowledge none has the particular focus of Braje s book: the social context of the industry and links to a deeper history. The book will have a significant impact in the fields of conservation of marine resources and marine habitat restoration. Michael A. Glassow, Professor Emeritus and Research Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara

A new and unique contribution to historical archaeology, the historical archaeologies of Chinese immigrants in the Americas, zooarchaeology, environmental archaeology, historical ecology, and western history. An innovative piece of work. Mark Warner, professor of anthropology and department chair, University of Idaho

Author Information

Todd J. Braje is an associate professor of anthropology at San Diego State University, USA

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