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During 1993-94, the C.E. Smith Museum at CSUEB mounted a major exhibit on the archeological site at Lake Chabot Dam, entitled Yema-po. The site, excavated by students and faculty of the Department of Anthropology, represents the remains of a work camp occupied by the overseas Chinese laborers who constructed the East Bay’s San Leandro Reservoir (Lake Chabot) between 1874 and 1875.
This year, Anthropology students will build upon and re-interpret the original exhibit, using many artifacts from the original dig which have not been seen before. This new exhibit – Ghosts of the Dam – serves as a window into the conditions of Chinese immigrants to California in the years immediately preceding the passage of the 1882 Exclusion Act.
The display will be produced in September, October, and November 2008, and is slated for opening around Thanksgiving.
A CSUEB exhibit, produced by the C.E. Smith Anthropology Museum and Dr. George Miller’s students
The Ghosts of the Dam exhibit was one of six displays that the Library coordinated, starting in Fall Quarter 2008. Each exhibit illuminated some aspect of the Chinese American experience in California, inspired by the visiting show from the Chinese Historical Society in San Francisco: Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which dealt with the Chinese Exclusion Act of that year.
This particular component of the larger festival of exhibits, dealt with Chinese culture and society as it developed in the East Bay in the late 19th century. The exhibit was the creation of George Miller's museum class in 2007-2008, and was based on work done by Anthropology students on the site of the Lake Chabot Dam. The dig was named Yema-po, and the name is used in the student-produced graphics that comprised the extensive show.
- DA
Producers: George Miller, Marjorie Rhoades-Ousseley
Copyright 2007-2008 by the C.E. Smith Anthropology Museum
Dr. Miller's students created 5 large poster/panels that measured 36" wide, and about 10'6" in length. These were hung on the Upper Mall level (UM) of the University Library (Hayward Campus), and formed the backdrop for display cases of artifacts from the Yema-po dig, as well as an interactive computer display.
Additionally, 2 10-foot end banners (in Chinese characters) capped the 5 central posters on either end.