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At Rose Hills cemetery, plotting the right feng shui

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For most of its 100-year history, Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier has attracted customers reflecting the region’s diverse history. Former California Gov. Goodwin Knight is buried here, as are legendary East Los Angeles educator Jaime Escalante and Compton rapper Eazy-E. But in the 1980s, waves of Chinese immigrants poured into the San Gabriel Valley and the cemetery found itself at the center of the largest Chinese diaspora in the country. The 1,400-acre cemetery, so large that mourners need cars and maps to get around, began a massive transformation to compete for an increasingly lucrative Chinese funeral business.

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