While the newly minted state of California was captivated by gold fever, a small group of enterprising Chinese immigrants recognized the untapped resources along her coast. Freed from both human and sea otter predation for decades, coastal California was teeming with abalone stocks. It was Chinese immigrants who realized the fortune to be made in fishing, processing, and exporting the abundant intertidal black abalone of southern and Baja California. Their successful efforts to build an abalone industry and carve out a livelihood were stolen from them by the turn of the 20th Century, however, by targeted, racist legislation by the U.S. and Californian governments.

Much of what we know about the history of 18th-century Chinese abalone fishing industry is gleaned from historical documents, occasional diaries, and interviews and includes few details about the lifeways and activities of Chinese abalone fishermen. On California's Channel Islands, however, a substantial archaeological record still exists, with the remnants of temporary abalone collecting and drying camps scattered along island coastlines. These sites are a treasure trove of information, stories, lifeways, and history of Chinese immigrants and the birth of the commercial abalone fishery.

This talk, by Dr. Todd Braje, Associate Professor of Anthropology at SDSU, will explore these fascinating records and delve into the history of Chinese abalone fishing. Info, San Diego County Archaeological Society, 858-538-0935 or sdcas.org.