Nevada Division of Museums and History

Renowned scholar Dr. Sue Fawn Chung will be available at 6 pm for book signing; lecture at 7 pm

September 19, 2011

Carson City, Nev—Dr. Sue Fawn Chung, the leading authority on the history of the Chinese in Nevada, presents a lecture on her new book of the same title, Thursday, September 22 at the Nevada State Museum.  Dr. Chung will be available at 6:00 pm to sign her book, The Chinese in Nevada, recently published by Arcadia; the lecture will begin at 7:00 pm.  The Chinese in Nevada boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.  Professor Chung has been teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, since 1975.  She has been active in numerous organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the state’s Board of Museums & History.

Admission: FREE FOR MUSEUM MEMBERS AND YOUTH AGES 17 AND UNDER; non-member adults: $8.  Contact Deborah Stevenson, Curator of Education: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 777/687-4810, ext. 237.
 
When the Chinese were asked to help dig irrigation ditches in the 1850s in Genoa and Dayton, Nevada, no one imagined that they would constitute almost nine percent of the state's population by 1880. Although many were attracted by mining prospects, the ability to own land, and work in railroad construction projects, they held a wide variety of jobs, including ranching, sheepherding, logging, medicine, merchandising, and gaming. Their restaurants and laundries could be found throughout the state. The children became acculturated because the state did not require them to attend segregated schools.

Federal and state anti-Chinese legislation had a devastating effect upon the population after 1890, but the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943 and other immigration laws brought newcomers who added to the growth of Chinese Americans. The postwar period saw new opportunities opening up that allowed their leaders to be recognized for their contributions to their community and the state.

The Nevada State Museum actively engages people in understanding and celebrating Nevada’s natural and cultural heritage.  Due to mandatory state budget restrictions, the museum is closed Sunday – Tuesday, and open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Wednesday – Saturday.  See the changing exhibits: Nevada: The Photography of Cliff Segerblom,  Slot Machines: the Fey Collection, and Selections from the Collections, featuring historic fashions.  Admission: $8 for adults and free for children 17 and under and museum members.  For information, call (775) 687-4810.

Contact: Deborah Stevenson 775-687-4810, ext. 237
Jim Barmore 775-687-4810, ext. 226