Crossing the Pacific

Pacific Crossing: California Gold, Chinese Migration, and the Making of Hong Kong

The California Gold Rush in the 19th century changed the fate of Hong Kong.
In early 1848, gold was discovered in California. From that point on, people from South China, particularly the Pearl River Delta, flocked across the ocean to California in pursuit of their golden dreams. This wave of travel completely changed the fate of Hong Kong. The gold rush transformed the Pacific Ocean into a major artery connecting North America and Asia, and in the process, established Hong Kong as Asia's primary Pacific gateway. Hong Kong's proximity to San Francisco, later known as "San Francisco," was significantly closer than from Atlantic ports, catapulting Hong Kong to prominence as a hub of Pacific commerce.
As a "middle ground" for Chinese immigrants, Hong Kong served as a hub for the continuous flow of capital, goods, information, ideas, and personal communications, providing immigrants with various means of maintaining connections with their homeland. Hong Kong's importance to Chinese emigration and its profound impact on Hong Kong's economic, social, and cultural development remain understudied. This book focuses on this, exploring Hong Kong's place in the history of Chinese immigration, using the case of Chinese emigration to California as an example.

2019-07-16

中華書局(香港)有限公司

452

9789888573189