US city apologises for destroying Chinatown in 1887 arson attack

The mayor of San Jose has apologised to the city’s Chinese-American community for the destruction of its Chinatown 134 years ago. Once home to one of the largest Chinatowns in California, it was burned down in 1887 by arsonists, destroying homes and businesses, and displacing 1,400 people. A special ceremony was held in San Jose on September 29, 2021, to acknowledge the incident, with descendants of the Chinese immigrants affected formally accepting the apology.