The Celestials’ Last Game

Before we record the last out, we need to trace where our protagonists and our nation went in the decades following the final game--and all that they represent and remind us of in our histories and our present alike.

The Celestials' exile, just after their triumphant last game, was only one of many lingering losses and tragedies for Chinese Americans in the Exclusion era. Yet in the same period, young Chinese Americans and their allies, including a Chinese Educational Mission alum, fought for and won vital victories that helped guarantee Constitutional rights for all Americans.

A climactic triumph. An inescapable tragedy. It has all led to this, for the Celestials, for our story, and for us. 

A transcontinental train trip. An ambiguous athletic challenge. An exhibition game that exemplifies so much of the Celestials, the Chinese Educational Mission, the Exclusion Era, and the battle for America. 

The Chinese Exclusion Act and its many horrific predecessors and aftermaths sought to destroy existing Chinese American families and communities--including the Chinese Educational Mission and its Celestials baseball team.

19th century San Francisco was one of the most diverse cities in the most multi-racial state in the expanding US--but it was also home to a new political party that linked labor activism to anti-Chinese racism and exclusion.

We're almost to play ball!

The rise of baseball in the 19th century is one of the great American stories, and we can't tell it without including the successful semi-pro squad the Celestials.

Denis Kearney's experience as an immigrant, labor leader, and anti-Chinese activist exemplifies the tragic ironies of 19th century Irish American histories.

Yung Wing's inspiring story, the founding of the Chinese Educational Mission and its baseball team, and the era of exclusion.

A tragic yet triumphant 1881 baseball game and the battle for America.