Portland State University
& Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Who were the pioneers of the American West? Some of them we already know: European Americans who traveled across North America on horseback, in covered wagons, on foot, or sailed from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Lesser known are the immigrants who, by the 1850s, began sailing east from Southern China, primarily from the Guangdong Province. They arrived in the American West port towns of California, Oregon, and Washington. These Chinese, fleeing the hardships of their homeland, sought the same prosperity as all immigrants to America. While some Chinese found riches in Oregon’s high desert, gold-mined mountains, coastal fisheries, and bustling Portland metropolis, many faced extreme racism, legal discrimination, and exploitation.

Jointly created by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), Portland State University Capstone students, and students of Ooligan Press, this book fills a long neglected gap in the history of the West Coast. This distinctive account of Chinese immigration is detailed in a well-researched text and a wonderful collection of photos, many from private collections not previously seen by the public. Dreams of the West: A History of the Chinese in Oregon 1850–1950 presents stories about the brave men and women who made America their home and kept China in their hearts.

For more information: ooligan.dreams@pdx.edu

ISBN: 978-1-932010-13-8
8 ½” x 11″, softcover
112 pages
$19.95

About the Authors

Portland State University,
& Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Dreams of the West: A History of the Chinese in Oregon 1850–1950 is a unique book, born from the collaborative efforts of several groups. First conceived by the Consolidated Chinese Benevolent Association (CCBA) in Portland, Oregon, it was written by students in Portland State University’s History Department (PSU). Dreams of the West was pulled together in its final form by the students at Ooligan Press, the University’s teaching press.

The CCBA is a national group, with branches in most major American cities. With the avowed goal of keeping Chinese heritage and traditions alive, leaders at Portland’s branch of the CCBA recognized a hole in the public’s knowledge of Chinese history in their own state. Determined to right this wrong, the CCBA approached the History Department at Portland State University and Dr. Douglas Lee, a Chinese–American history professor.

Students in the History Department at PSU culminate their studies with a Capstone Project — a final-year, real–world application of all they’ve learned in their studies. The first Capstone course offered was to write a history of Oregon’s Chinese population. Team–taught by Dr. Lee and Dr. Ann Fulton, a specialist in American local and oral history research, students began with a brief overview of Chinese–American history, ending with a focus on the Chinese in Oregon. Students then divided into four workgroups, were assigned a region of Oregon and sent out to discover the history of the Chinese in that region.

Their research extended across the state of Oregon. They did extensive Internet research, as well as combing the local collections of several groups, including the CCBA. Some groups traveled around the state to collect even more information from private collections. The groups then wrote a final paper, detailing their findings. These papers, along with hundreds of photographs, were then passed to Ooligan Press, PSU’s trade teaching press for final editing and layout process.

Ooligan students worked on Dreams of the West for over a year, collecting and synthesizing all the information the Capstone program had pulled together. The final layout of the book includes over 85 photos and is presented in both English and Chinese.

Learn more about the CCBA:Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association