Life for Chinese women in the United States in the 1800’s up until the mid 1900’s was not an easy thing. Chinese immigrants in general, were often overlooked but especially the roles of women. Because men were able to transition easier into the United States due to the occupations available for them, they have a lot more history recorded. As for women on the other hand, who could not work gold mines, on the railroads or on public projects, they did not play as sufficient of a role as the men therefore their work is less documented.[2] Chinese American Women were faced with the harsh reality of being prostitutes and also being discriminated against in schools and in the work place. However, with the struggle to fit in the United States many heroes or “sheroes” in this case arose out of these women. Many that are still overlooked to this day but without a single doubt made a huge impact in helping Chinese American Women get the respect they deserve.
San Francisco was the place in which the vast majority of the Chinese immigrated to in the 1800’s. The public schooling system there was very strict on whom they would not allow to let in. Chinese women were one of them. Although it was against the law to not allow a child attend a school because of their race or gender, it still occurred. Chinese women such as Mary Tape however, decided to take matters into her own hands. Tape felt that her daughter deserved the right to an education just as the white children did. She then decided to take her daughter to the school only to be denied on the front steps of the school by the principle.[3] Mary Tape soon after decided to sue the principle and happened to turn the court case into one of the most important cases in civil rights history known as the Tape vs. Hurley. Even after the judge ruled that what the school was doing defied the constitutional law they still did not allow her to attend the school. This represented how poorly treated Chinese women were treated at the time.[4] Education was easier to access for the second generation girls but yet, even some of the parents of these Chinese girls felt it was not suitable for them. For a short period of time even people within their race felt that women did not need education. Even while in school the girls were faced with poverty and discrimination resulting in a significantly low number of Chinese women finishing high school or deciding to go to college.[5]
One of the harshest things that Chinese women seem to have faced was the trafficking. One of the first steps for Chinese women arriving in San Francisco was being auctioned off to bidders. They could be sold for as much as $1,000 and worked for their “employer” for an extensive period of time. They were bid on according to their appearance (the more attractive sold for the highest amount).[6] They were kept in tiny cages also known as “cribs” that faced the alley of Chinatown, or busy streets or sent to mining towns. In these cribs they were forced to solicit themselves to the men that passed by. Owns would then close the curtain on the cage while they serviced the man. Sadly enough, often times even four year old girls could bring in “speculative prospects” that would pay fifteen to two thousand dollars! The trafficking was controlled by Chinese gangs called tongs, some tong gangs were known to traffic 6,000 women within 20 years. These women were beaten and berated in order to keep them from attempting to escape, if attempted there came severe punishment.[7] Because they were forced to have sex with almost twenty men a day they were bound to catch a disease. One that stood out most was syphilis. This disease takes a toll on the human body if not treated immediately, causing your internal organs to be attacked by sores and your mental performance to deteriorate. [8] Those who had this disease and became inept were eventually thrown out or tossed in other cages to await their death. The average life span of these Chinese women was just four years in this trade. This is a poem written by a Chinese prostitute in the 19th century:
“A green mansion is a place of filth and shame
Of lost chastity and lost virtue
Most repulsive is it to kiss the customers on the lips
And let them fondle every part of my body
I hesitate, I resist;
All the more ashamed, beyond words.
I must by all means leave this troupe of flowers and rouge;
Find a nice man and follow him as his woman.”[9]
San Francisco was the place in which the vast majority of the Chinese immigrated to in the 1800’s. The public schooling system there was very strict on whom they would not allow to let in. Chinese women were one of them. Although it was against the law to not allow a child attend a school because of their race or gender, it still occurred. Chinese women such as Mary Tape however, decided to take matters into her own hands. Tape felt that her daughter deserved the right to an education just as the white children did. She then decided to take her daughter to the school only to be denied on the front steps of the school by the principle.[3] Mary Tape soon after decided to sue the principle and happened to turn the court case into one of the most important cases in civil rights history known as the Tape vs. Hurley. Even after the judge ruled that what the school was doing defied the constitutional law they still did not allow her to attend the school. This represented how poorly treated Chinese women were treated at the time.[4] Education was easier to access for the second generation girls but yet, even some of the parents of these Chinese girls felt it was not suitable for them. For a short period of time even people within their race felt that women did not need education. Even while in school the girls were faced with poverty and discrimination resulting in a significantly low number of Chinese women finishing high school or deciding to go to college.[5]
One of the harshest things that Chinese women seem to have faced was the trafficking. One of the first steps for Chinese women arriving in San Francisco was being auctioned off to bidders. They could be sold for as much as $1,000 and worked for their “employer” for an extensive period of time. They were bid on according to their appearance (the more attractive sold for the highest amount).[6] They were kept in tiny cages also known as “cribs” that faced the alley of Chinatown, or busy streets or sent to mining towns. In these cribs they were forced to solicit themselves to the men that passed by. Owns would then close the curtain on the cage while they serviced the man. Sadly enough, often times even four year old girls could bring in “speculative prospects” that would pay fifteen to two thousand dollars! The trafficking was controlled by Chinese gangs called tongs, some tong gangs were known to traffic 6,000 women within 20 years. These women were beaten and berated in order to keep them from attempting to escape, if attempted there came severe punishment.[7] Because they were forced to have sex with almost twenty men a day they were bound to catch a disease. One that stood out most was syphilis. This disease takes a toll on the human body if not treated immediately, causing your internal organs to be attacked by sores and your mental performance to deteriorate. [8] Those who had this disease and became inept were eventually thrown out or tossed in other cages to await their death. The average life span of these Chinese women was just four years in this trade. This is a poem written by a Chinese prostitute in the 19th century:
“A green mansion is a place of filth and shame
Of lost chastity and lost virtue
Most repulsive is it to kiss the customers on the lips
And let them fondle every part of my body
I hesitate, I resist;
All the more ashamed, beyond words.
I must by all means leave this troupe of flowers and rouge;
Find a nice man and follow him as his woman.”[9]
[1] "Fashion in Shanghai"
[2] Unknown. "I. Perceptions of Asian Women as Prostitutes - Page 2." I. Perceptions of Asian Women as Prostitutes - Page 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
[3] Sridharan, Mohini. "Prostitution in the Earlv Chinese Community, 1850-1900." Dartmouth. N.p., 2000. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
[4] Unknown. "Project MUSE - Prostitutes, Wives, and Students: Chinese Women in the United States." Project MUSE - Prostitutes, Wives, and Students: Chinese Women in the United States. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
[5] Unknown. "I. Perceptions of Asian Women as Prostitutes - Page 2." I. Perceptions of Asian Women as Prostitutes - Page 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
[6] "Chinese American Women: A History of Resilience and Resistance." Chinese American Women: A History of Resilience and Resistance. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
[7] Ibid., paragraph 5
[8] Ibid., paragraph 18
[9] Firstenberg, Noga, “speaking truth to the power”, paragraph 2
[10] ABUSE OF CHINESE WOMEN 1900
[11] "Chinese Prostitute, Jackson Street, San Francisco. Collection of Peter Palmquist, Private Acquisition"