31 Historic Chinese American Cemetery
Historic Chinese American Cemetery The Historic Chinese American Cemetery adjacent to the Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose symbolizes the resilience and rich history of local Asian communities. A 1900 land purchase agreement between the Oak Hill Improvement Company and eight Chinese associations, preserved by the Chinese American Women Club in San Jose, demonstrates the cemetery’s historical significance. In the early 1960s, The Chinese Cemetery Committee initiated a renovation as a “Chinese community project,” marking the profound sense of belonging and cultural pride. Since 1980, the non-profit South Bay Historic Chinese American Cemetery Corporation has preserved the heritage and hosted annual ceremonies. Far from being “lonely souls and wandering ghosts,” those buried here are honored as Chinese pioneers, for they strived to make their adopted land a home for the future generations. Their stories and aspirations resonate through time.