This is 54 minute film about hard work, teamwork, love, compassion, and strong relationships.
In 2025, seven Nevada County (California) Chinese families shared stories about what it was like to grow up in Grass Valley’s Chinatown, be part of a big family, work in a family-owned business, their first jobs, and exploring the Empire Mine grounds between the time the mine closed and when California State Parks acquired it.
The Families: Fore, Chan, Yun, Tinloy, Heung, Oyung, and Wood
Gary Noy, Sierra College history teacher, explains the impacts of over 100 years of effects from the Chinese Exclusion Act.
The film was produced by Lisa Redfern and Rose Murphy on behalf of the Nevada County Historical Society.
Link to Grass Valley and Nevada City Walking Tours
Make a donation to support the continued expansion of the Nevada County Historical Archive here
