Correcting History

Dynamic preservationist Gerry Low-Sabado, who lives in Fremont, travelled 90 miles to Monterey to show me her ancestors' village. (Post one.) She first led us to Point Lobos, "a point not only of nature but history," she said. Her great grandmother's photo is in the Whaler's Village. (Post two.) Her great-great grandfather floated over from Canton, escaping the chaos and poverty that accompanied war. (Post three.) Gerry researched her ancestors, and so had lots of information to share when CSU-Monterey Bay expressed interest. A documentary came from that research, and bolstered Gerry to spread the word.(Post four.) People didn't always want to hear those words. (Post five.)

Still, making history correct became Gerry’s mission. “I’m just asking for respect for the Chinese village and my ancestors who we didn’t even know lived here. Even though I was born in Monterey, I didn’t know where the village was."

One of the issues she with was the picture in the Whaler’s Cabin.

“Auntie took it but it had no proper designation. She told them, ‘That’s not the right name and year.’ "They said ‘How do you know?’
"She said, ‘Well, I took that picture of my grandmother.’”

They still didn't do anything. So, Gerry persisted.
“When I told them, ‘Why isn’t her name up here?’ there was all kind of rigmarole, things they were telling me that just weren’t right. I wouldn’t take, 'No.' Or any excuse. There’s no excuse in my mind. And eventually, five years later, it (the designation) is there. But there was a lot I had to do.”

Gerry Low-Sabado showing Jana McBurney-Lin  photo of Great Grandmother

Gerry is similarly urging the historical correction of the sign that adorns the front of the musuem:

“When you walk into the cabin there is a sign that alludes to the fact that it was a Chinese cabin. But, to me, I need people to take that extra step. The Chinese built it. 
"When the park staff went to restore the cabin, they found Chinese artifacts underneath. To me, then, they should have changed the name to 'Chinese Cabin.'  But now it’s already in the historic register—as a whaler’s cabin. 
"The whalers lived in it AFTER the Chinese.”

(To Be Continued. Next: Acceptance Problem Everywhere.)