Sacramento State Library Exhibit

The Sacramento State University Library is honored to present an exhibit of the Frank Fat & Family photographs and artifacts—part of a larger collection archived in the University Library Special Collections and Archives. The images in this exhibit are in part characteristic of the larger American story of immigration, family, hard work, and success. Their importance—beyond the standard narrative—lies in the special legacy story of Sacramento as the Second City--Ngee-faugh or Yee Fow--of Chinese people in California—Gold Mountain or Gum Sam-- as it was called by the new immigrants who began arriving in the 1850’s. The story of Frank Fat, his family, life’s work and contributions is a lens through which we may understand Sacramento's importance as an economic, cultural and political hub of California in historic and contemporary times.


This exhibit was made possible by the generous gift of the Fat Family, the Frank Fat Tribute compiled by Lonnie Wong and Alex Eng and The Sacramento Chinese American Council, 1977, and the research of Philip Choy, presented in his work, Canton Footprints, Sacramento’s Chinese Legacy, 2007.


 Frank Fat wearing a traditional Chinese cap and lifting the lid off a serving bowl decorated with dragons.
Frank Fat wearing a traditional Chinese cap and
lifting the lid off a serving bowl decorated with dragons.