Dr. Liping detailed how the Chinese have enriched the culture of the American Northwest. From China's demand for sea otter pelts fueling the international interest in the Pacific Northwest, to the addition of celery and keno to our culture, the Chinese made significant contributions to the development of the West. The Chinese are tied to the major institutions that enhanced the economy of this area, mainly the Gold Rush and the Railroad boom. The Chinese benefited the region through technological advances in agriculture, such as, implementing irrigation techniques used in China for centuries and the integration of foods not grown here in the past, like celery.
