Chinese in Napa Valley
The Forgotten Community That Built Wine Country
John McCormick
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.
The Documentary
See the Story on the Big (or Small) Screen
Chinese in Napa Valley is a documentary film based on the book by John McCormick and produced in collaboration with the Napa County Historical Society. The film brings to light the largely forgotten history of Chinese immigrants who played a foundational role in Napa Valley during the late nineteenth century. Using archival photographs, historical records, and on-camera interviews, it explores the lives and labor of Chinese workers in the region’s vineyards, hop fields, farms, railroads, and towns, as well as the development of local Chinatowns.
The documentary features interviews with historians, descendants, and community members, including Connie Young Yu, Jack Jue, Jack Ding, and others. It was made possible by a generous anonymous donation to the Napa County Historical Society and was filmed and produced by Jeff Hamilton of EH LearnMedia LLC. By translating years of research into a visual narrative, the film expands the reach of the book and offers an accessible way to engage with an important chapter of Napa Valley history.
The film itself is restricted for group showings through the first part of 2026. After that it will be available on YouTube and through the Napa County Historical Society website.
The premier is scheduled for February 2, 2026 at the Cameo Movie Theater in St. Helena, CA.
Why Write This Book?
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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.
Book Talks
January 6 2023
Napa County Historical Society
January 25 2023
St. Helena Historical Society
February 7 2023
Walnut Creek Library
March 2 2023
Lafayette Rotary
March 11 2023
Sharpsteen Museum, Calistoga
March 11 2023
Sharpsteen Museum, Calistoga
April 20 2023
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Napa
April 22 2023
Chinese Historical Society of America, San Francisco
April 29 2023
Walnut Creek Library Foundation Gala
May 3 2023
Upvalley Women's Club,
St. Helena
May 7 2023
Sonoma Depot Park Museum, Sonoma
May 10 2023
Napa County Library
May 11
2023
St. Helena Library
May 18
2023
Chapel at the Sonoma Mission
May 23 2023
Lafayette Library and Learning Center
August 17 2023
Museum of the San Ramon Valley
Sept 19
2023
Napa Valley Retired Teachers Association
October 21 2023
Vineyard Trails Daughters of the American Revolution
Nov 11
2023
Schramsberg Winery, Calistoga
Nov 24 2023
SingTao Chinese Radio AM1400
Dec 13 2023
Paradise Valley Estates, Fairfield, CA
April 9 2024
St. Helena Rotary
April 11 2024
Orinda Masonic Lodge
Sept 5 2024
History and Culture Club of Rossmoor