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Picture
 Harper's Weekly Depiction Circa 1881
Chinese and Chinese-Americans have a large variety of funeral traditions
and customs as a result of the various religions and cultures that exist then and now within China. However one of the most universal customs practiced in China (and anywhere Chinese immigrants found themselves) is the tradition of burning offerings and incense at their ancestors graves. (See Picture Above.)

A great fire broke out as a result of lighting in the Alhambra\Martinez Cemetery in 1872 and burned a large number of the wooden markers\gravestones.  However the fire was blamed on the Chinese-American community because of their above mentioned traditions and becomes the impetus for many cemetery changes to come.  It is a theory the Catholics felt especially upset that their ancestors graves were desecrated by the Chinese and decided to move them across the street officially establishing St Catherine of Siena Cemetery
in 1886.  (It took them over ten years to excavate and rebury their dead.)
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EMAIL: MARTINEZCEMETERY@GMAIL.COM
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Martinez Cemetery Preservation Alliance © 2019
​

 Please direct any questions or comments about its content to our
Website Administrator at 
MartinezCemetery@gmail.com.​
  • Home
  • About
    • Visiting the Site
    • Meet Our Board
    • Our Experts & Volunteers
    • Important Links
  • History
    • Cemetery Decedent Lists
    • Photo Project >
      • Photo Project Form
    • Maps of Alhambra Cemetery >
      • 1823 - 1854
      • 1854 - 1869
      • 1869 - 1874
      • 1874 - 1887
      • 1887 - 1892
      • 1892 - 1919
      • 1919 - 1992
      • 1992 - Today
    • Biographies >
      • Nikolao Glaros
      • George Homan Johnson
      • Virginia Menezes-Costa
      • August Mueller
      • Kichigorou Nogawa
      • Aaron Rice
      • Ralph Vester Walker
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Donate
    • Volunteer >
      • Events >
        • Current
        • Past >
          • 2019 Winter Party
          • 2019 Fall Cemetery Cleanup
          • 2019 Spring Cemetery Cleanup
          • 2018 Fall Cemetery Cleanup
          • 2017 Archaeology Days
  • Gallery
    • 05/14/2023 Cleanup
    • 8/26/2017 Archaeology Day
    • 10/15/16 Cleanup
    • 10/08/16 Pre-Repair
    • 7/06/16
    • 6/11/16 Cleanup
    • 5/18/16 Cleanup
    • 5/14/16 Before
    • 1/15/16 Before
    • 10/10/2015 Cleanup
    • 8/29/15
    • 6/20/15 Cleanup
    • 5/30/15
    • 5/9/15 Cleanup
    • 5/3/15 Before
  • Contact
    • Photo Project