Improving Public Memory: Discovering the Chinese Community of Early Klamath Falls

Abstract

Abstract:In this Research Files article, Karen Caverly-Molineaux uncovers the largely unknown history of Chinese people who immigrated and settled in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This study documents the presence of a Chinese community between 1880 and 1930, Klamath Falls’s formative years, and is heavily illustrated with images, newspaper headlines, and tables that add the names of dozens of Chinese people and businesses to the historical record. The evidence collected for this article provides opportunities for further research, and according to Caverly-Molineaux, “through the continued uncovering of missing historical narratives, perhaps a more accurate public memory of Klamath Falls’ early decades can be achieved.”