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GUEST: Prof ChorSwang Ngin, Professor and Chair, Department of Anthropology and Director of Asian and Asian American Studies at Cal State LA

Some years ago hundreds of bones of what are thought to be Chinese workers were discovered deep below Boyle Heights, along side intricate ceramics, jade jewelry and opium pipes. Some of the bones are more than a century old and offer a window into a dark chapter in Los Angeles’ history. Workers digging the subway tunnel for the Gold Line rail extension uncovered the ancient cemetery. According to the LA Times, “[t]he discovery thrilled Chinese American historians because it was one of the few involving the earliest generations of Chinese immigrants who came to California to help build the railroads and perform other menial tasks.” Now, a controversy over what to do with the bones has developed within the Chinese American community and City officials.