Label
SINCERE GIFTS
1950s
Donated by Esther Chin
Restoration by David Svenson
Sincere Gifts was a local Chinatown shop specializing in lanterns, dragon heads, lion heads, special effects, and more. Established in 1937 by Fong Kin Chin, Sincere Gifts, also called Sincere Imports, was one of the earliest businesses to open in New Chinatown’s Central Plaza at 483 Gin Ling Way.
Prior to the establishment of Los Angeles’s current Chinatown, the Chinese community of Los Angeles had established a vibrant residential and commercial district located at the site of present-day Union Station. During its heyday from the 1890s to the 1910s, Old Chinatown spanned about 15 streets and alleys and nearly 200 buildings.
Due to exclusionary acts, overall Los Angeles corruption and greed, and a gradual population decrease, Old Chinatown began declining in the 1910s, and as a result, residents were constantly faced with the threat of relocation or displacement. Developers saw the land as prime real estate for industrial and transportation purposes which would propel Los Angeles to become a strong metropolitan city. In 1931, a California Supreme Court decision was upheld to construct a new Union Station at the site of Old Chinatown, pushing the Chinese community to relocate a mile away in Little Italy two years after the decision. After years of planning and development, the New Chinatown’s Central Plaza was dedicated in 1938.
Sincere Gifts’ significance as a nearly century-old business in Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza cannot be overlooked. It is a standing testament to the hard work, persistence, and spirit of the Los Angeles Chinese community. Although it is saddening that the business has shut its doors, MONA is proud to have a historical Chinatown sign in our collection to carry on the legacy of Fong Kin Chin and to honor the history of LA’s Chinese community.