by 1900, there were about 3,000 chinese in the city. most residents of the old chinatown came from sanyi (san yup) and siyi (sze yup) in guangdong. the old chinatown began to decline as more chinese left. many moved to east adams around the 1920s and 1930s. the los angeles union passenger terminal, built in 1933, was built over much of the former old chinatown, so a new chinatown was established after peter soohoo sr. and herbert lapham, an agent for the santa fe railway, negotiated a land purchase for what would become the new chinatown.