Chicken and Broccoli-Vegetable Stir Fry

Not far from where I grew up, along a twisted Delta road is the town of Locke. Established in 1915, Locke is the last remaining rural Chinatown in all of America. That is not to say that Locke was exclusively Chinese. Some Japanese also helped to establish the Delta town of Locke, just across the river from the town of Walnut Grove.

Back then, there were laws in place that prevented Chinese and Japanese from outright owning land in California. The first such exclusion was in 1879, when the state amended its constitution to limit the ownership of land in California by aliens only to those of “the white race or of African descent”. In 1913 California passed the Alien Land Law, preventing ownership of property to anyone ineligible for citizenship and further limited leasing of property to no more than three years. The Cable Act of 1922 placed a ban on citizenship of all Asian immigrants and stripped American-born women of their citizenship if they married men ineligible. The most amazing thing about these laws is that many remained in place until 1952, when it was determined by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional.

Asian immigrants could build homes and farm the land, but never own it. Segregation was a way of life in California. The town of Walnut Grove, like most towns, had a “China Town” made up of both Chinese and Japanese residents. They were segregated together because the “decent” folk of Walnut Grove though of them as a single group of people and not two completely different cultures. In 1912, three buildings were constructed by a group of Chinese businessmen in what would become the town of Locke. George Locke owned the land and agreed to limited development for a price. In October of 1915, a fire believed to have started in the kitchen of a Japanese women cooking fish on an oil stove broke out in Asian part of Walnut Grove. When hit with water, the oil fire erupted violently and spread, raging out of control until there was little left of China Town. Only a change in the winds prevented the fire from spreading further. Instead of rebuilding in Walnut Grove, many of the Asians moved across the river on lands owned by the prominent Locke family.

In 1977, a Hong Kong based developer purchased the entire town from the remaining Locke heirs. In 2002 the town was sold to the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. It wasn’t until 2004 that the agency finally allowed the sale of the land to those who had been living on it for many years. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971.

If you ever find yourself along the Sacramento Delta, and happen to wander into the town of Locke, be sure to visit the Memorial Park. It is dedicated to the Chinese people who came to California in search of gold and helped to forge a great state despite its early resentment to the Asian People.

And now that you’ve had your California history lesson for the day, let’s get to cooking, shall we?

Chicken and Broccoli-Vegetable Stir Fry
3 Cups Long Grain White Rice, cooked
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
1 3/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 1/4 lb Chicken Breast, boneless strips
5 cups Birds Eye Stir-fry Vegetables with Broccoli
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Cook or steam rice according to package directions. Keep warm.

While the rice is cooking, stir the cornstarch, broth and soy sauce in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into long strips for stir-frying. Set aside.

Spray a 12-inch skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and stir-fry until well browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Add the vegetables, ginger and garlic powder to the skillet. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Stir the cornstarch mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the chicken mixture over the rice.