Chinatown memorial design at the corner of First and E.

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Press release from the Eureka Chinatown Project:

The Eureka Chinatown Project (ECP), an initiative of Humboldt Asian and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI), is excited to announce the groundbreaking ceremony for the Eureka Chinatown Monument on Friday January 30, 2026 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the corner of 1st and E Streets, Eureka, CA located just a few blocks from the site of Eureka’s historic Chinatown at 4th and E Streets. Featured speakers include HAPI, ECP, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, and the City of Eureka whose efforts made this project possible. Community members, partners, and the public are warmly invited to attend as organizers share gratitude and mark this important milestone.

The Eureka Chinatown Monument honors the historic Chinese community and raises awareness of the events that led to the forced removal of the majority of the Chinese population from Humboldt and banishment for over 50 years. Chinese immigrants began arriving in Humboldt in 1850. By 1885, over 300 Chinese men, women, and children lived in Eureka and the immediate surrounding areas. They supported Eureka’s early growth by working in construction, fishing, logging, laundry, housework, and farming, supplying a significant amount of the community’s fresh produce. Despite these contributions, Chinese residents faced fierce anti-Chinese sentiment and discriminatory laws that severely restricted their rights and freedoms.

On February 6th, 1885, a stray bullet from a gunfight near Chinatown struck and killed a city council member. This incident ignited a wave of violence culminating in the forced expulsion of Chinese residents in Eureka and, eventually, the rest of Humboldt County. The profound and far-reaching impacts of Eureka’s 1885 Chinese Expulsion have been largely forgotten and unacknowledged. The Eureka Chinatown Project works to reclaim and preserve this history for the future.

Since 2021, the ECP has worked to create a monument commemorating the story of the Chinese immigrant community in Humboldt and their journey. Completion of the monument establishes an important landmark recognizing the vital role that one of Eureka’s many immigrant communities played in building Eureka and memorializes the entire community’s losses from driving out the Chinese residents. The monument’s design also emphasizes the positive contributions of immigrant communities to Eureka today and expresses Eureka’s work towards a brighter future for all.

Other ECP initiatives include two Chinatown interpretive signs on the City’s kiosks, a mural in historic Chinatown, naming of Charlie Moon Way, a virtual walking tour, and walking tours of Chinatown for the public, students, and educators.

Fundraising is ongoing for the construction of the monument. If you would like to contribute to this landmark project, donations can be made through the Ink People Center for the Arts- HAPI Eureka Chinatown Monument Fund at:

https://www.inkpeople.org/dreammaker-data/humboldt-asians-amp-pacific-islanders-in-solidarity-hapi?rq=hapi

Humboldt Asian and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI) works to build and empower our community by amplifying diverse voices and perspectives for a more inclusive future. The Eureka Chinatown Project exemplifies this mission through its pursuit of public education efforts to recognize and honor the rich history and culture of early Chinese residents of Humboldt County, California.

For more information, please visit our website at hapihumboldt.org or contact hapi.humboldt@gmail.com.