by Akemi Tamanaha, Associate Editor
A growing wildfire in Yosemite National Park could prove a threat to a historic Chinese laundry building.
The Washburn fire began burning on July 7 near the lower portion of Mariposa Grove in California. As of Sunday night, the fire was 1,591 acres and 0 percent contained.
On Friday, officials issued an evacuation order for Wawona, which is home to the Wawona campgrounds and the Wawona hotel, an historic landmark, located northeast of the Washburn fire. The Yosemite Chinese Laundry Building sits a quarter-mile north of the hotel.
During the 1800s, Chinese immigrant workers washed and pressed clothes at the laundry building for the Washburn family who owned the Wawona Hotel. In October 2021, Yosemite National Park re-opened the building to commemorate the history of Chinese Americans in Yosemite.
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It is unclear if the building is at great risk. Jay Nichols told AsAmNews that officials have made a list of structures in the area that need protection. Nichols is the public information officer for California Interagency Incident Management Team 13, which has been handling the fire. One structure was wrapped with protective material today but Nichols could not identify it.
Nichols also told AsAmNews it is difficult to predict how quickly the fire will grow and what the timeline for containment might look like. He confirmed that the fire was active on Saturday night. The weather is hotter and drier but they expect lighter winds on Sunday night.
The Yosemite Chinese Laundry Building has become an important landmark for the Chinese American community. According to the Sierra Club, there is a long history of Chinese American workers at the national park. Starting in 1848, many Chinese American workers moved to Yosemite during the Gold Rush.
Chinese Americans found work on roads and railroads to help support their families back in China. Others worked at places like the Wawona hotel.
Since the building’s re-opening in October 2021, tourists have had the opportunity to learn about the history of Chinese Americans in California at the museum inside the building. Many Chinese Americans feel the building’s demise would be a great loss.
Frank Mah, a community volunteer, feels the building has not been open long enough for people to appreciate it.
“Chinese Americans have yet to discover the contributions by early
Chinese settlers as represented by Yosemite’s Chinese Laundry Building.
Many settlements were established by Chinese miners and railroad workers before they were driven out,” Mah told AsAmNews in an email.
Chef David Soohoo, who used to work in Yosemite, emphasized how the building could teach the next generation.
“The next generation of kids will have no structural evidence that the late nineteenth century Chinese immigrants still provided cleaning services as laundry men, even after the Exclusion Act of 1882…” Soohoo told AsAmNews in an email.
“The Laundry Building is a touchstone and “time machine” for visitors,” he added.
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May the gods of fire and water be merciful to the Wawona Hotel. In September 2022, our group of Asian Americans will be staying there. The historic Chinese Laundry that once served the hotel is our main cultural stop. This fire is called the “Washburn Fire,” which is quite an ironic name…