How much would a person be willing to sacrifice for a brand-new opportunity despite uncertainty and a foreign environment?
Standing by the majestic square-rig sailing ship Balclutha, I could imagine this incredible vessel filled with passengers sailing from Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, to the United States East Coast a century and a half ago. In the minds of the forty-niners, San Francisco, by its literal Chinese translation, signifies “The Golden City.”
As an international student studying AP United States History in high school, I see a few fundamental commonalities between myself and the forty-niners. We both embarked on journeys into unknown waters to pursue opportunities. However, I am far more fortunate than the poor Chinese laborers who faced discrimination, prejudice, exploitation, and hostile legislation.
Today, standing at the museum that records a history written in blood, I am grateful to witness, as a visitor rather than a waged slave, how Asian people and Asian Americans now receive more significant opportunities in schools and businesses than ever before, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, which boasts the highest Asian population density in the nation.
Visiting the Maritime National Historical Park, I found the vivid exhibitions reflecting the changes and continuities throughout U.S. history genuinely fascinating.
Sincerely,
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Site celebrates the history of America’s relationship with the sea. The site is comprised of three main sections: the Maritime Museum, the visitor center/museum and Hyde Street Pier.
State(s): California
Established: 1988
“The exhibits demonstrated the change in our history.”
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