Chinese ProstitutionEssay Preview: Chinese ProstitutionReport this essayIn 1850, only 7 Chinese women were in San Francisco compared to the 4,018 Chinese men. These lows numbers couldve been because Chinese men were afraid to bring their wives and raise families in a place full of racial violence. The growing anti-Chinese sentiment and few labor opportunities reduced the chances for entry of Chinese women. The few women in San Franciscos Chinatown basically turned Chinatown into a bachelors society. Many men went to brothel houses to release their sexual tensions, thus increasing the demands and values of prostitution. Prostitution in Chinatown increased, and in 1870, 61 percent of the 3536 Chinese women in California as prostitutes (Takaki, 1998). By 1879, seventy-one percent of Chinese women in San Francisco were prostitutes. However, the increased amount of Chinese women becoming a prostitute was not by choice. Immigrant women who became prostitutes, such as Wong Ah So, came to America on promises of marriage made by men only to be forced or tricked into prostitution.
Chans book, “Asian Americas: An Interpretive History”, was able to shed some light as to why so few Chinese women were able to enter the U.S. From the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, Chinese women were only allowed to enter the U.S. as the wives and daughters of merchants or U.S. citizens. Several acts, such as the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and the
As Judith Yungs research shows, most Chinese women who immigrated to San Francisco in the mid-19th century were prostitutes, mui tsai (servants) ranging from ages sixteen to twenty-five, or merchants wives or daughters. Some immigrants were sold by their families for money, were promised marriage, or kidnapped and sold. These immigrants were often sold to Chinese merchants as concubines, and were treated well if they pleased their owners. Others were auctioned off to parlor houses or ended up in cribs. Parlor houses were luxurious rooms furnished extravagantly on the upper floors of Chinatown. These women were dressed in beautiful silk clothing, and were displayed and made available to certain clients. Cribs, on the other hand, were twelve by fourteen feet shacks usually facing a dimly lit alley. Prostitutes living in cribs would draw their customers through barred windows, selling themselves for as little as twenty-five cents. Consequently, women in cribs were exposed to harsh treatment and were ultimate infected with a sexual disease. Once diseased, these women were of no use and were thrown out on the streets or locked up in a room anyone until they died (Yung, Judith).
The prostitution trade was considered easy money, thus it was a big trade. Trafficking prostitution was too profitable to be stopped by laws alone. Brothel owners alone were able to make an annual profit of $2,500 on each prostitute. The Hip Yee Tong, for example, imported 6,000 women and made a profit of $200,000 from the trade between 1852 and 1873.
Chinese prostitution was soon recognized by the Americans. Stories of the prostitution trade became common in books and newspapers. Americans saw Chinese prostitution as proof of the “immorality of the Chinese and the repression of their women by their patriarchal cultural values” (Takaki). Yung argues that Chinese prostitution was always singled out for “moral condemnation” even though there were more white prostitutes. Many blamed the Chinese for “vile diseases capable of destroying the very morals, the manhood and the health of our peopleultimately destroying the whole nations” (Yung, Judith). Chinese merchants became anxious about the safety of their families as well as the negative image portrayed on Chinatown, and worked with American authorities to identify and deport Chinese prostitutes. Two Protestant mission homes, the Methodist
and Oriental house, were searched by American authorities while an investigation was undertaken into American prostitution. American missionaries also visited the communities and reported problems they encountered (Yung, Judith). The American missionaries also visited the Chinatown community with American authorities, which led to their arrests and/or convictions. It is claimed that the American missionary actions during the second half of the 20th century led to greater rates of sexual violence among Asians, Hispanics, whites, and Native Americans. The American missionary program was also linked with the illegal trafficking of goods into “(Yung, Judith, Frank N. Fennik).American missionary efforts in Africa were also very limited. Some of these American missionaries were forced in to the shacks by African traffickers who refused to pay money for labor and for help with personal matters. American missionary crews continued to engage some of the traffickers, but only by making payment to them in exchange for services. These American missionaries were also allowed to enter and out the country without pay for many long days or weeks. The missionary program continued to suffer from problems as missionaries began to make less. While traveling to Africa for missionary work, several missionary girls were raped after missionary work in their families, and some forced to perform abortions. In August, 1942, the International Rescue Committee of Japan was placed on the “Red Cross” for missionary work after it was informed that several Japanese missionaries were murdered. The Japanese Mission made efforts to stop the killing and rescue other missionaries while the American missionaries worked for the American Red Cross. U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on 5 December 1942. During the war Congress passed the Act to Prevent the Abduction of Adolescents, which included specific requirements that missionaries and children be released from detention and forced to stay with foreign states for a period of three weeks after having completed their education. Since the end of hostilities a number of Americans have been abducted, killed, or imprisoned in Japanese captivity facilities. U.S. Embassy in Tokyo (Yung) The mission to the United Kingdom (Watson) was the first group to go against the organized Chinese government, and has been involved in many events (Yung, Judith). For nearly two decades, the American mission has conducted many operations to raise awareness of American Chinese history, beliefs, •(S.R.T.C.). In 1943 some of the American missionaries made it to China with the intention of helping the American government gain control of the nation’s political, military, religious, legal, and intellectual elite. However, the Japanese government refused to allow them to return to the United States. These American missionaries were arrested, disobeiled with American courts, and/or charged with participating in an illegal scheme to steal the US government’s money, cars, and other intellectual property, or to engage in organized criminal activity. According to many witnesses, there were five American missionaries in custody until December 1943 when at least 10 Japanese soldiers and 1 American boy were captured. The American mission was organized by an American officer of a Chinese missionary organization. In August 1942, a group of Koreans, Indians, and Chinese were rescued from the Japanese occupying an area along the coast of southern Korea under Japanese occupation. American missionaries were also assisting a group of Chinese in their attempts to abduct several Americans from the United States. The group’s mission to the United Kingdom consisted of “ex-jesters”. During the Japanese occupation of the North Sea Territory of 1945, missionaries received assistance from the American mission and helped them escape to China. They did not live
Houard Hotel, and the church at Waddell, all at the same time, were not only visited and visited by Chinese pimps, but also by FBI authorities investigating the “Chinese Conspiracies”—which was then called the Waddell Inn.” (Yung, Judith, The Waddell Inn, pp. 82-84). A police investigation found that on April 23, 1893, two prostitutes of Asian descent, a Chinese American woman and a Chinese American man, were found in a closet at the “Pimp City” hotel, where the white family would live as servants in a small hotel suite in a house with a pool and a gym. (Yung, Judith, The Waddell Inn, pp. 83-84). In response to an FBI examination of the White family’s house, authorities found a large pool and a gym at the hotel. They found that the Chinese had an extra kitchen to cook in which the woman was known. (Yung, Judith, A House Built by White Women, pp. 84-75). But the FBI was unable to find Chinese prostitutes, so the agents arrested the White couple on charges of money-laundering, espionage, and having an “insider” business.[19] In their defense, Whiten and the FBI testified about Chinese prostitution in connection with the events at the Waddell Inn. Whiten’s testimony is corroborated by a letter sent from a former resident who was found locked up by local White residents with a blanket to his underwear, with no explanation for why Whiten could not find her in his apartment or return house on the night she was discovered, and even if he might have found her in the hotel, he could not even find the room he had previously rented in his house with the blanket, which he had just shared with Whiten in the house of his landlord, who is also now the manager for the hotel, and the house belonged to Whiten’s step-mother, who had been living there. Whiten’s letter was sent from the same address and stated the hotel address in which he had rented the room “but it had not been located by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies.[[20] Whiten, William, and the FBI testify that the FBI interviewed the two. It is unclear why none of them questioned this information. At Whiten’s request, the FBI asked her parents and other family members to send letters of advice to each other and to their neighbors and to the house where she remained. They answered only in direct letters, giving assurances that no one else or Whiten or anyone else was in an apartment at the time of this case.[22] But the family went on strike and attempted to strike a two year long strike from the time of the murders. They sued and demanded compensation, and in October of 1902, the District Attorney, Charles Brown, wrote the District Attorney, Charles A. Pugh, requesting an investigation into Whiten’s death and seeking the information for him. For these reasons, Pugh sent copies of several letter chains and a letter from Whiten’s stepmother from one of the attorneys to Pugh requesting information about Whiten’s case which could be helpful to both of them in solving his death case, and which could aid Whiten in securing further compensation. However, the letter chains and the letter were sent to Pugh on January 18, 1903, and Pugh ordered Whiten’s mother to stop working for the next year, and to send the information to
Houard Hotel, and the church at Waddell, all at the same time, were not only visited and visited by Chinese pimps, but also by FBI authorities investigating the “Chinese Conspiracies”—which was then called the Waddell Inn.” (Yung, Judith, The Waddell Inn, pp. 82-84). A police investigation found that on April 23, 1893, two prostitutes of Asian descent, a Chinese American woman and a Chinese American man, were found in a closet at the “Pimp City” hotel, where the white family would live as servants in a small hotel suite in a house with a pool and a gym. (Yung, Judith, The Waddell Inn, pp. 83-84). In response to an FBI examination of the White family’s house, authorities found a large pool and a gym at the hotel. They found that the Chinese had an extra kitchen to cook in which the woman was known. (Yung, Judith, A House Built by White Women, pp. 84-75). But the FBI was unable to find Chinese prostitutes, so the agents arrested the White couple on charges of money-laundering, espionage, and having an “insider” business.[19] In their defense, Whiten and the FBI testified about Chinese prostitution in connection with the events at the Waddell Inn. Whiten’s testimony is corroborated by a letter sent from a former resident who was found locked up by local White residents with a blanket to his underwear, with no explanation for why Whiten could not find her in his apartment or return house on the night she was discovered, and even if he might have found her in the hotel, he could not even find the room he had previously rented in his house with the blanket, which he had just shared with Whiten in the house of his landlord, who is also now the manager for the hotel, and the house belonged to Whiten’s step-mother, who had been living there. Whiten’s letter was sent from the same address and stated the hotel address in which he had rented the room “but it had not been located by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies.[[20] Whiten, William, and the FBI testify that the FBI interviewed the two. It is unclear why none of them questioned this information. At Whiten’s request, the FBI asked her parents and other family members to send letters of advice to each other and to their neighbors and to the house where she remained. They answered only in direct letters, giving assurances that no one else or Whiten or anyone else was in an apartment at the time of this case.[22] But the family went on strike and attempted to strike a two year long strike from the time of the murders. They sued and demanded compensation, and in October of 1902, the District Attorney, Charles Brown, wrote the District Attorney, Charles A. Pugh, requesting an investigation into Whiten’s death and seeking the information for him. For these reasons, Pugh sent copies of several letter chains and a letter from Whiten’s stepmother from one of the attorneys to Pugh requesting information about Whiten’s case which could be helpful to both of them in solving his death case, and which could aid Whiten in securing further compensation. However, the letter chains and the letter were sent to Pugh on January 18, 1903, and Pugh ordered Whiten’s mother to stop working for the next year, and to send the information to
Houard Hotel, and the church at Waddell, all at the same time, were not only visited and visited by Chinese pimps, but also by FBI authorities investigating the “Chinese Conspiracies”—which was then called the Waddell Inn.” (Yung, Judith, The Waddell Inn, pp. 82-84). A police investigation found that on April 23, 1893, two prostitutes of Asian descent, a Chinese American woman and a Chinese American man, were found in a closet at the “Pimp City” hotel, where the white family would live as servants in a small hotel suite in a house with a pool and a gym. (Yung, Judith, The Waddell Inn, pp. 83-84). In response to an FBI examination of the White family’s house, authorities found a large pool and a gym at the hotel. They found that the Chinese had an extra kitchen to cook in which the woman was known. (Yung, Judith, A House Built by White Women, pp. 84-75). But the FBI was unable to find Chinese prostitutes, so the agents arrested the White couple on charges of money-laundering, espionage, and having an “insider” business.[19] In their defense, Whiten and the FBI testified about Chinese prostitution in connection with the events at the Waddell Inn. Whiten’s testimony is corroborated by a letter sent from a former resident who was found locked up by local White residents with a blanket to his underwear, with no explanation for why Whiten could not find her in his apartment or return house on the night she was discovered, and even if he might have found her in the hotel, he could not even find the room he had previously rented in his house with the blanket, which he had just shared with Whiten in the house of his landlord, who is also now the manager for the hotel, and the house belonged to Whiten’s step-mother, who had been living there. Whiten’s letter was sent from the same address and stated the hotel address in which he had rented the room “but it had not been located by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies.[[20] Whiten, William, and the FBI testify that the FBI interviewed the two. It is unclear why none of them questioned this information. At Whiten’s request, the FBI asked her parents and other family members to send letters of advice to each other and to their neighbors and to the house where she remained. They answered only in direct letters, giving assurances that no one else or Whiten or anyone else was in an apartment at the time of this case.[22] But the family went on strike and attempted to strike a two year long strike from the time of the murders. They sued and demanded compensation, and in October of 1902, the District Attorney, Charles Brown, wrote the District Attorney, Charles A. Pugh, requesting an investigation into Whiten’s death and seeking the information for him. For these reasons, Pugh sent copies of several letter chains and a letter from Whiten’s stepmother from one of the attorneys to Pugh requesting information about Whiten’s case which could be helpful to both of them in solving his death case, and which could aid Whiten in securing further compensation. However, the letter chains and the letter were sent to Pugh on January 18, 1903, and Pugh ordered Whiten’s mother to stop working for the next year, and to send the information to