Chinese Ethnic Enclaves Presentation
Transcript of 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.