ABSTRACT
Those exploring San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Square for the first time will no doubt notice the towering statue of Sun Yat-sen. Twelve feet of stainless steel with red granite for Sun’s head and hands, the striking figure of the Chinese revolutionary and the leader of the Republic of China draws every-one’s attention. Its presence in the space next to Old St. Mary’s Cathedral is hardly an anomaly because the Chinatown that was rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake and fire eventually expanded along the streets adjacent to the square. In other words, the statue itself may be remarkable, but its location in Chinatown is not. To viewers, it appears to be one of many signs of eth-nic difference in the urban landscape and a confirmation of the city’s famed ethos of tolerance.
