SAN JOSE — Did you know that before the Japanese, before the Filipinos, before any other Asian community in San Jose, there were five Chinatowns that existed in San Jose?
The fifth Chinatown, known as Heinlenville, provided the nurturing environment that gave birth to the currently thriving San Jose Japantown. As a continuing series of part of the “Hidden Histories” events, the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj), will host a Facebook Live stream on Saturday, July 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. at: https://www.facebook.com/JAMsjOfficial
Curt Fukuda, documentarian for this project, will explore the little-known history of Japantown’s Chinese American roots. Historian Connie Young Yu and Brenda Hee Wong of the Chinese Historical Cultural Project will discuss Heinlenville Chinatown, the Ng Shing Gung Temple and the interconnected histories of the Chinese and Japanese in San Jose.