The heritage of San Francisco, California, is based in diversity. From Sir Francis Drake, to the Spaniards, to the African Americans who brought the masonry, carpentry and other building skills from the South, to the newly rich gold barons who brought the money, to the Chinese who built the railroads and introduced trade with Asia, to the Russians who came over and down through Alaska and to the Indians and later, the Mexicans who governed California as a part of Spain, the diversity of San Francisco cannot be denied.
San Francisco has a heritage of rapid growth, hedonistic wealth, and rapid destruction from earthquake and fire. This was followed by rapid rebuilding into an era of even more growth, diversity, life, movement and wildness. San Francisco was the first city to serve as a safe haven for Gays, during the 60’s and 70’s. San Francisco was ground zero for the Hippie revolution. San Francisco was so diverse, welcomed so many immigrants from around the nation and world, and offered so much opportunity that liberal tolerance of all cultures meant survival for the city.
Greed for gold was so profound that as soon as ships landed, whole crews abandoned ship and headed straight for the Gold fields. The Barbary Coast district gained notoriety as a lawless haven for transient gold hunters who drank and whored and brawled their way into history.
From Domingo Ghirardelli and his chocolates, to the major financial players behind Wells Fargo bank and Bank of America, the diversity became more prevalent. Mary Ellen (Mammy) Pleasant continued her underground railroad, business, and human rights movements in San Francisco. Not a single San Francisco bank failed in the Great Depression.
When Hunter’s Point Naval shipyard was built for WWII, and Fort Mason became a major port for soldiers, a flood of workers came from the rest of the country to find opportunity and to live in the nations’ best public housing for working people and their families.
San Francisco’s vibrant ethnic neighborhoods: the Mission, Fillmore, North Beach, and Chinatown thrived with life, food, and culture. The financial district went through Manhattanization and the distinctive Transamerica Pyramid was built.
San Francisco remains a cultural haven in the world. San Francisco remains a place of diversity, human rights, freedom, and opportunity, as well as a natural beauty and a cultural center that has no rival in the world. And that is a very proud heritage, indeed.
