… after the Central Pacific Railroad hired thousands of Chinese workers, mostly from Guangdong, to help build the transcontinental railroad. Once construction was finished on the 3 major rail lines crossing the country, immigration from China was virtually stopped.

The area where Union Station is now is where the first Chinese settlers settled. They were not allowed citizenship or property rights - rules that kept most of the Chinese community in poverty and forced some into a life of crime to survive. Opium dens and organized crime were very real parts of this neighborhood which was considered dangerous by most living on the outside.

In a move of pure irony, as Union Station was to be built, the Chinese community that first came to help build the railroad in California was kicked out to make way for it.

The 1930’s saw the influence of tourism made possible by the power and draw of the film industry. Hollywood descended onto downtown LA and created the Mexican-themed Olvera Street and another block called China City which was ultimately lost to arson in the late 1940’s.

At the same time, another project started in the Little Italy neighborhood to the north which was called New Chinatown. It was part tourist trap, part real community and therefore the locals had mixed feelings about it. Some were grateful for the employment opportunities while some resented the Hollywood influence that tended to play-up stereotypes.

The neighborhood is reported to have been designed by Hollywood set designers and even Cecil B de Mille is said to have donated parts of film sets to help with the neighborhoods construction.