
Chinese in Napa Valley
The Forgotten Community That Built Wine Country
John McCormick
The Video
The Book
Unearth the origins of Napa Valley's prosperity.
Chinese laborers were once the backbone of Napa Valley. Throughout the late 1800s, they toiled in the grape fields, mines, hop farms, leather tanneries and laundries, and carved out neighborhoods in towns throughout the Valley. These contributions did little to deter discrimination and Anti-Chinese Leagues sprang up to harass and intimidate immigrants like Chan Wah Jack, who ran the successful Sang Lung store in Napa's Chinatown. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act hastened the decline of local Chinatowns and these once vibrant communities disappeared while the industries they helped to foster flourished.
Join author John McCormick as he uncovers the forgotten contributions of the Chinese people in California's most famous wine region.
Why Write This Book?
“
I wrote the book as a result of my bucket-list History Masters program at Harvard. As part of that program, I stumbled across a short article about Chinese workers in St. Helena vineyards in the late 1800s. As I researched, I discovered that Chinese workers were critical in many industries between 1870 and 1900 throughout the Napa Valley. There were Chinatowns in Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Chinese workers were eventually driven out, and their businesses and homes were razed.
I grew up in Napa, and there was no mention of any of this in the local history we were taught in school. This is a very important part of our community that has almost completely been erased from local memory. My goal is to have this book be a very belated acknowledgment and "thank you" to all the Chinese workers who lived, worked, and - in some cases - died, making the Napa Valley a world-class destination.
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IN THE PRESS
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Without Chinese Labor, Napa Never Would Have Become a World Class Wine Region
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New book highlights history of Chinese immigrants in Napa Valley
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Book toasts Chinese who helped grow Napa Valley
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哈佛碩士著書 彰顯納巴酒鄉華工貢獻
(Harvard master's book highlights the contribution of Chinese laborers in Napa Wine Country)
BIO

John McCormick grew up in Napa and is descended from five generations of Napa Valley residents. He received his bachelor’s in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley while playing in the Cal Marching Band. He received his master’s in history from Harvard University.
After thirty years in the software industry, John left tech in 2018. He and his wife own Lamorinda Music in Lafayette, CA. He joined the Lafayette Chamber Board of Directors, serving as its president for two consecutive years during the global pandemic. During that time, he worked closely with local businesses to help them survive unprecedented changes. He continues to serve on the Chamber’s Executive Committee and was named Lafayette’s Businessperson of the Year for 2021.
Outside of Lafayette, John is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Park Theater Trust, a non-profit dedicated to the restoration of the Park Theater in Lafayette, CA.
Events

Napa County Historical Society
Native Sons Hall
937 Coombs Street
Napa, CA 94559
Thursday, January 19, 2023, 6:00 PM
Link to event: https://napahistory.org/event/chinese...

St. Helena Historical Society
1255 Oak Avenue
St. Helena, CA 94574
Wednesday, January 25, 2023, 4PM
Link to event: https://shstory.org/about-copy-2-copy/

Walnut Creek Library
Oak View Room
1644 N Broadway
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Tuesday, February 7, 2023, 7PM
Link to event: https://www.wclibrary.org/live/

Lafayette Rotary
Oakwood Athletic Club
4000 Mt. Diablo Blvd
Lafayette, CA. 94549
Thursday, March 2, 2023, Noon
Link to event: https://rotarylafayette.org/event-dir...

Sharpsteen Museum
1311 Washington St
Calistoga, CA 94515
Saturday, March 11, 2023, Noon

Covenant Presbyterian Church
1226 Salvador Ave
Napa, CA 94558
Thursday, April 20, 2023, 6PM

Chinese Historical Society of America
965 Clay St
San Francisco, CA 94108
Saturday, April 22, 2023 5PM

Walnut Creek Library Foundation Gala
Walnut Creek Library
1644 N. Broadway
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Saturday, April 29, 2023, 7PM

Upvalley Women's Club
The First Presbyterian Church
1428 Spring St
St. Helena, CA 95574
Wednesday, May 3, 2023, Noon




Lafayette Library and Learning Center
3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard
Lafayette CA 94549
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 7PM