Our Story

Belongings: What We Bring, What We Leave Behind grew out of Chinatown Unearthed exhibit, which uncovered the history of Petaluma’s early Chinese residents through artifacts and research—but in doing so, it also revealed what was missing: the voices of the people themselves. That absence stayed with us. It led to a new question about whose stories are still unheard today. Belongings is our response—an invitation for community members to share the objects and stories that carry their experiences of migration, memory, and home.

How We Got Here

Summer 2020
When Lina Hoshino opened Petaluma Pie Company in 2010, she learned that Petaluma once had a Chinatown but found little information about it. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began researching old newspapers and was struck by both the presence of Chinese residents and the hostility in how they were portrayed. She felt a responsibility to help bring their contributions to light through community-led work grounded in care and gratitude.

Spring 2024
The initiative began with the Petaluma Chinatown Pilgrimage, a community walk through the former Chinatown district that invited residents to learn about the neighborhood’s history and the people who once lived there.

Summer 2024
Inspired by the response, community members formed the Petaluma Historic Chinatown Park Committee, dedicated to preserving this history and advocating for its public recognition.

Spring 2025
The movement expanded into the museum world with Chinatown Unearthed, a major exhibition at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum. The exhibit showcased artifacts, stories, and research that illuminated the lives of Chinese residents and migrant workers whose stories had long been overlooked.

Fall 2025
The city marked a major milestone with the unveiling of a new plaque at Historic Chinatown Park—the first permanent public acknowledgment of the neighborhood’s legacy.

Looking Ahead
Building on this momentum, Belongings: What We Bring, What We Leave Behind emerges as the next phase—shifting from uncovering history to inviting community members to share their own stories of migration, memory, and home.