Michael Luo

There was a story about a merchant who was here apparently 1847-ish, his name was Chung Ming, who'd arrived in America around 1847. And he was among the people who went into the Sierra Nevada foothills with the gold rush. This would have been really early for a Chinese merchant to be in the United States, but that's how the story goes.

There was a story about a merchant who was here apparently 1847-ish, his name was Chung Ming, who'd arrived in America around 1847. And he was among the people who went into the Sierra Nevada foothills with the gold rush. This would have been really early for a Chinese merchant to be in the United States, but that's how the story goes.

And he wrote a letter to a friend back home named Cheng Yam, a fellow villager from the Sanyi district of Guangdong province, about the gold to be had in the minefields. And the story goes that Cheng Yam told others about Cheng Ming's good fortune and set off across the Pacific himself.

And he wrote a letter to a friend back home named Cheng Yam, a fellow villager from the Sanyi district of Guangdong province, about the gold to be had in the minefields. And the story goes that Cheng Yam told others about Cheng Ming's good fortune and set off across the Pacific himself.

And he wrote a letter to a friend back home named Cheng Yam, a fellow villager from the Sanyi district of Guangdong province, about the gold to be had in the minefields. And the story goes that Cheng Yam told others about Cheng Ming's good fortune and set off across the Pacific himself.

There is a more verifiable fact about a ship that arrived in Hong Kong on Christmas Day in 1848 that contained gold dust from California. The Hudson Bay Company, which was a fur trading concern, had requested that British experts in China evaluate it. We also know that there were copies of a Hawaiian newspaper from Honolulu with news about the gold rush.

There is a more verifiable fact about a ship that arrived in Hong Kong on Christmas Day in 1848 that contained gold dust from California. The Hudson Bay Company, which was a fur trading concern, had requested that British experts in China evaluate it. We also know that there were copies of a Hawaiian newspaper from Honolulu with news about the gold rush.

There is a more verifiable fact about a ship that arrived in Hong Kong on Christmas Day in 1848 that contained gold dust from California. The Hudson Bay Company, which was a fur trading concern, had requested that British experts in China evaluate it. We also know that there were copies of a Hawaiian newspaper from Honolulu with news about the gold rush.

And so this might have been how word spread. And it was a very specific region in China where people were coming from. This was in the Pearl River Delta. You know, in any kind of story of migration, there's a push and pull. There was... unrest in China. There was the Taiping Rebellion that was going on around this time where millions of people were killed.

And so this might have been how word spread. And it was a very specific region in China where people were coming from. This was in the Pearl River Delta. You know, in any kind of story of migration, there's a push and pull. There was... unrest in China. There was the Taiping Rebellion that was going on around this time where millions of people were killed.

And so this might have been how word spread. And it was a very specific region in China where people were coming from. This was in the Pearl River Delta. You know, in any kind of story of migration, there's a push and pull. There was... unrest in China. There was the Taiping Rebellion that was going on around this time where millions of people were killed.

Within Guangdong province, there were some internecine conflicts that were going on. But there's also Canton, as it was called back then, or As it's known today, Guangzhou was an important trading port, and there was a lot of exposure to the West.

Within Guangdong province, there were some internecine conflicts that were going on. But there's also Canton, as it was called back then, or As it's known today, Guangzhou was an important trading port, and there was a lot of exposure to the West.

Within Guangdong province, there were some internecine conflicts that were going on. But there's also Canton, as it was called back then, or As it's known today, Guangzhou was an important trading port, and there was a lot of exposure to the West.

And, you know, some of these stories that I looked into for this book of this 19th century migration, these people were coming from southern China as teenagers, 13, 14, 15. I have a 16-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old daughter. I cannot imagine... I could not even conceive of the possibility of either of them getting on a boat in steerage weeks on the ocean.

And, you know, some of these stories that I looked into for this book of this 19th century migration, these people were coming from southern China as teenagers, 13, 14, 15. I have a 16-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old daughter. I cannot imagine... I could not even conceive of the possibility of either of them getting on a boat in steerage weeks on the ocean.

And, you know, some of these stories that I looked into for this book of this 19th century migration, these people were coming from southern China as teenagers, 13, 14, 15. I have a 16-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old daughter. I cannot imagine... I could not even conceive of the possibility of either of them getting on a boat in steerage weeks on the ocean.

Exactly. And the idea that they were 13-year-olds, 14-year-old boys who are sailing across the ocean and landing on these shores and making a living is just pretty extraordinary.

Exactly. And the idea that they were 13-year-olds, 14-year-old boys who are sailing across the ocean and landing on these shores and making a living is just pretty extraordinary.

Exactly. And the idea that they were 13-year-olds, 14-year-old boys who are sailing across the ocean and landing on these shores and making a living is just pretty extraordinary.