Chinese Ethnic Enclaves Presentation

7/31/2019 Chinese Ethnic Enclaves Presentation

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Chinatown: Ethnic

EnclavesBy Dan Shull


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Geographical & psychological

Chinatown is: A physical location

Primarily urban (98% of Chinese Americans in 1990lived in cities)

A place where old and new immigrants can findcommunity and assistance

A concept

For non-Chinese, an exotic tourist destination For Chinese Americans and immigrants, provides

association with others of the same ethnic and culturalorigin a need for identity


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Chinatowns Around the U.S.

Chinese ethnic enclaves can be found allacross the United States:

Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, New York,Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Washington D.C.

Dobie (1976, cited in Chinatown: MostTimes, Hard Times) called San Franciscos

Chinatown, the most significant expressionof every Chinatown in the United States.


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Beginnings of S.F. Chinatown

1st reported arrival in 1820

San Francisco soon

became a hub forimmigrants

Primarily men, leaving aChina in turmoil

British Opium Wars

Peasant rebellions

Bad economic conditions, likehigh taxes and frequent

floods


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The 1850s and 1860s

Chinese were initiallywelcomed as hard

workers San Francisco was away station forworkers in the mines

and on the railroads Most lived in outlying

areas

As more and more

arrived, sentimentturned against them


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Forced into enclaves

Increasing anti-Chinese legislation andsentiment led to violence

The Page Act, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the ScottAct all made immigration more difficult

Anti-Chinese riots across the U.S.

1886: In Seattle, the Chinese residents were drivenout and sent to San Francisco

Chinese went to the Chinatowns forsecurity and work Mutual aid societies such as Chinese Consolidated

Benevolent Association

Self-employment in stores, restaurants, laundries


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Map of Chinatown, 1885


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Gender in S.F. Chinatown

Chinatowns were a bachelor society Limits on immigration of women (Page Act of

1875) Confucian ideology (the woman stays home, cares

for children and in-laws, waits for husband)

Prohibitive cost of migration

Anti-miscegenation laws (Chinese men could notmarry white women)

Some women were still present, mostly asprostitutes Illegal immigration (not directly noted in my

research)


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Earthquake of 1906


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Aftermath of the Quake

Most of Chinatown destroyed

Loss of records enabled men to start

bringing families, wives; they also couldclaim citizenship Women were consistently 5% of the Chinese

population

In the process of rebuilding, both Chineseand non-Chinese business owners chose tomake Chinatown a more tourist-friendlydestination


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Prior to WW II

Increased presence of families, children andbusinesses

Laws in the 1920s continued to targetChinese immigrants Both the laws of the 1800s and 1900s affected

population density

Racism also created occupationalsegregation (though this is ongoing)


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Changes to the present

In 1943, to support China as an ally,Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act passed

Only directed at immigration Passage of the Immigration and Nationality

Act of 1965 led to even more immigration Increase in immigration began changing

Chinatown Increase in need for social services

Provided primarily by non-profit groups

Demand for more housing Built by Ping Yuen Public Housing from 1952 to 1969


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Modern Day S.F. Chinatown

In 1984, 3 out of every 4 visitors to S.F. visited Chinatown Grant is the tourist area; Stockton is more local residents Still serves immigrants

Network of community organizations, psychological / spiritualsupport

Chinatown Neighborhood Improvement Resource Center began in1977 to achieve various planning goals for the district


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References

Chen, Y. Chinese San Francisco, 1850-1943. 2000. Stanford UniversityPress, Stanford, CA.

Chinn, T. Bridging the Pacific: San Francisco Chinatown & Its People. 1989.

Chinese Historical Society of America, San Francisco, CA.Finkelman, P. (editor-in-chief). Encyclopedia of the United States in the 19 thCentury. 2001. Charles Scribners Sons, New York, NY.

Kim, H. Dictionary of Asian American History. 1986. Greenwood Press, NewYork, NY.

Loo, C. Chinatown: Most Time, Hard Time. 1991. Praeger, New York, NY.

Takaki, R. A Different Mirror. 2008. Back Bay Books, New York, NY.

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Chinese Ethnic Enclaves Presentation