City of Immigrants: An American Story

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CITY OF IMMIGRANTS explores 100 years of mass historic immigration into Napa Valley between 1820 with the advent of Mexico’s Rancho Era and 1920 with the implementation of U.S. Prohibition. Over this period of time, the population of the Valley dramatically increased, ushering in new towns, industries, and ways of life. People from many ethnicities made Napa Valley their home bringing with them differing languages, cultural customs, belief systems, skills, and cuisines.

As historic immigrants flocked to the Valley, the diversity could be heard on the streets, tasted in restaurants and seen in newspaper advertisements. Spanish, English, German, Chinese, Italian, and French could all be heard within a single business block.

Today remnants of these immigrants’ impact on Napa Valley can still be seen in place names, foods that are commonly enjoyed to this day, industries, and businesses that continue to flourish, and the vibrant organizations that have persisted through generations of families and neighbors.