Abstract
Buildings in Sacramento’s Chinatown Mall range from fifty to sixty-four years old as of 2025. This site is of importance in local Asian American, Chinese American, and redevelopment history; however, there is little public knowledge of the location of the site or its Asian American designed architecture, community importance, and relevance to the history of downtown Sacramento. Additionally, the Chinatown Mall site is not listed on any local, state, or national historic registers. Massive infill development taking place in the former Southern Pacific Railyards is a cause for concern due to the possibility that the development may exert pressure to redevelop the aging Chinatown. Using a variety of sources including academic monographs, local newspapers, and discussions with community members, this project created a walking tour of Sacramento’s Chinatown that was hosted as part of the California Preservation Foundation’s 2025 conference “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges” and the 2025 Jane Jacobs Walks through Preservation Sacramento. This research explores the history of historic preservation’s benefits and pitfalls, the historic context of Chinatown development in the United States and Sacramento, the origins Sacramento’s Chinatown Mall, and ideas for methods to preserve Chinatown Mall in a way that will support residents and promote public knowledge of this unique architectural and cultural landmark.