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Introduction The Beginnings Preston Martin F.Chow Chan Cathay Bank
East West Bank Far East National First Public Savings General Bank Trust Savings
Standard Bank Golden Security Eastern International The Continental Bank  

Los Angeles Chinese American
Banking Pioneers

Introduction
On May 12, 2007, The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC) honored Los Angeles Chinese American banking pioneers at the CHSSC's Annual Spring Dinner. Early Chinese American immigrants often pooled the economic resources of sometimes ten or fifteen partners to open a small restaurant, store, or laundry. Most of them worked completely in a cash economy, carried money in bags on their bodies, or hide money in their mattresses.

In 1937, there was only one Chinese bank on the west coast, the Bank of Canton, operated by the Republic of China as a government bank in San Francisco. It was to remain that way until the early 1960s, when businessmen such as Paul H. Louie of San Francisco, F. Chow Chan of Los Angeles, and Robert Chinn of Seattle ade a strong bid to open Chinese American banks or thrift institutions in their own communities. Their efforts to obtain charters were repeatedly turned down.