The California Museum's new exhibit “Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories” puts on permanent display the history and contributions of Chinese Americans in California from the period of the Gold Rush to the present.

The exhibit explores how Chinese immigrants came to California. They were seeking a better life then remained, playing a part in the evolution of the state and contributing significantly in many ways. 

From the late Secretary of State March Fong Eu, the first Asian American to hold a constitutional office in the US, to former Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the late Frank and Lina Fat and so many others, Chinese Americans dealt with and overcame racism, persecution and struggle, to make their mark on the Golden State over the past 150 years. 

Guests

• Amanda Meeker, Executive Director of the California Museum
• Xiaojian Zhao, Professor of Asian American Studies and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at the College of Letters and Science at UC Santa Barbara