The First Chinese American: the Remarkable Life of Wong Chin
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The First Chinese American The Remarkable Life of Wong Chin Foo Scott D. Seligman Seligman_00_fm_reprint_2015.indd iii 02/01/2015 9:31 AM Hong Kong University Press The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong www.hkupress.org © 2013 Hong Kong University Press ISBN 978-988-8139-89-7 (Hardback) ISBN 978-988-8139-90-3 (Paperback) All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmit- ted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Front Cover: Wong Chin Foo. Sketch from a photograph by George G. Rockwood from Harper’s Weekly, May 26, 1877. The original photograph apparently no longer exists. The Chinese calligraphy is in Wong’s own hand, taken from the signature on his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen, fi led with the Circuit Court of Kent County, Michigan on April 3, 1874. Back Cover: One of the few confi rmed photographs of Wong Chin Foo known to exist, taken in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, probably in early 1870. Courtesy of Special Collections/University Archives, Bertrand Library, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Printed and bound by Goodrich Int’l Printing Co., Ltd. in Hong Kong, China Seligman_00_fm_reprint_2015.indd iv 08/01/2015 2:02 PM Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xv A Note on Romanization and Chinese Names xix Wong Chin Foo Chronology xxi Dramatis Personae xxvii 1. The Arid Land of Heathenism (1847–67) 1 In which young Wong Sa Kee is given over by his aged and destitute father to Christian missionaries in Shandong to raise, receives a Western education, and is baptized as a Christian. 2. An Abbreviated American Education (1868–70) 15 In which Wong sails to the United States, attends two American colleges, gets his start as a lecturer, and returns to China without completing his studies. 3. The Timber from Which Conspirators Are Made (1871–72) 27 In which Wong marries and fathers a child, joins the customs bureaus of Shanghai and Zhenjiang, is excommunicated from the Baptist Church, runs afoul of imperial authorities for revolutionary activities, and fl ees for his life. 4. Soiled Doves (1873–74) 39 In which Wong helps rescue Chinese girls sold into prostitution in America, begins a lecture tour, becomes a naturalized citizen, and has a liaison of his own with an American prostitute. 5. A Hare-Brained, Half-Crazy Man (1873–74) 49 In which Wong is accused of fraudulently posing as a Chinese government envoy and denounced by Chinese offi cials, and in which a Manchu prince demands his extradition to China. Seligman_00_fm.indd v 09/01/2013 4:41 PM vi Contents 6. America’s First Confucian Missionary (1874) 55 In which Wong defends Chinese from charges of godlessness and depravity and proclaims himself the fi rst Chinese missionary to the United States. 7. A Most Delightful Dish of Chow Chow (1875–79) 63 In which Wong lectures throughout the East and Midwest, falls in with New York’s Theosophists, takes aim at the Christian missionaries in China, and is excoriated by them in return. 8. A Terror to the Chinese Community (1879–82) 77 In which Wong begins to speak out on the “Chinese question” and partisan politics, clashes with members of Chicago’s Chinese colony, is nearly assassinated, fl ees to Michigan, and then returns to Chicago. 9. The Chinese American (1883) 89 In which Wong relocates to New York and establishes the fi rst Chinese-language newspaper east of the Rockies. 10. Wiping Out the Stain (1883–85) 101 In which Wong defends the Chinese community against false allegations of debauchery, and in which his crusade against vice in Chinatown earns him a conviction for libel. 11. I Shall Drive Him Back to His Sand Lots (1883) 111 In which Wong challenges—and bests—Irish-American demagogue Denis Kearney, the symbol of the “Chinese Must Go” movement in the United States. 12. Pigtails in Politics (1884–86) 119 In which Wong organizes the fi rst association of Chinese American voters and announces that all American Chinese are being recalled to their motherland. 13. Chop Suey (1884–86) 125 In which Wong begins an effort to bring Chinese theater to New York, establishes a language school, studies law, works as an interpreter, and introduces American readers to life in China and Chinatown. 14. Why Am I a Heathen? (1887) 135 In which Wong launches a frontal attack on Christianity and Christendom in a major article and garners a fi restorm of opposition from many quarters. Seligman_00_fm.indd vi 09/01/2013 4:41 PM Contents vii 15. Fifty Cents a Pound (1887) 149 In which Wong protests the Canadian government’s assessment of a $50 head tax as a condition of crossing the border. 16. The Chinese in New York (1887–89) 159 In which Wong debates Denis Kearney, builds relationships inside and outside of New York’s Chinatown, and addresses American audiences through writing and public speaking. 17. I Have Always Been a Republican (1888–89) 169 In which Wong tries twice to secure a government job and endorses Benjamin Harrison for president in a new Chinese weekly newspaper. 18. I’ll Cut Your Head Off If You Write Such Things (1888–91) 177 In which Wong clashes with the Chinese underworld in his quest to rid Chinatown of vice, a reward is offered for his murder, and he acts, at his own peril, to save a young girl who had been sold into slavery. 19. The Only New Yorker Without a Country (1891) 187 In which Wong is denied a passport by the U.S. government and is arrested for illegal voter registration, tried, and acquitted. 20. The Chinese Equal Rights League (1892) 195 In which Wong organizes and energizes a political organization to fi ght new burdens imposed on America’s Chinese by the Geary Act. 21. Is It Then a Crime to Be a Chinaman? (1893) 209 In which Wong testifi es before Congress and confronts the congressman who created the Geary Act, and in which the law is challenged in the Supreme Court. 22. An Ardent Worker for Justice (1893) 221 In which New York’s Chinese Theatre is established, Wong seeks justice for a clansman in Chicago, a second incarnation of the Chinese American is published, and Wong gets a close-up look at Chinese participation in the World’s Fair. 23. False Starts (1894–95) 235 In which Wong enjoys a brief career as a Chinese Inspector for the Treasury Department and goes into a short-lived partnership with a Chinese physician. Seligman_00_fm.indd vii 09/01/2013 4:41 PM viii Contents 24. The American Liberty Party (1896) 241 In which Wong attempts to create a new political party, publishes his fourth and last newspaper, and briefl y opens a Confucian temple. 25. A Letter from My Friends in America (1894–97) 251 In which Wong opines on the Sino-Japanese War, corresponds with Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and announces plans for the establishment of a Chinese revolutionary junta in Chicago. 26. Citizenship for Americanized Chinese (1897) 261 In which Wong receives his fi rst word from his family in China in a quarter-century, re-establishes the Chinese Equal Rights League, and spearheads an effort to lobby Congress for citizenship rights for Americanized Chinese. 27. When the World Came to Omaha (1897–98) 275 In which Wong competes to construct the Chinese Village at Omaha’s Trans-Mississippi International Exposition and wins a consolation prize, tries to bring his son to the United States, is jettisoned by his business partners, and is jailed for contempt of court. 28. I Do Not Like Chinese Ways, Nor Chinamen Any More 283 (1898) In which Wong sails to Hong Kong, attempts to collect monies due him, is issued a United States passport that is soon withdrawn, takes ill, returns to Shandong for a fi nal family reunion, and dies. Afterword 289 Appendix: Wong Chin Foo’s Published Works 297 Notes 305 Glossary and Gazetteer 341 Bibliography 347 Index 357 Seligman_00_fm.indd viii 09/01/2013 4:41 PM Wong Chin Foo Chronology 1839–42 Britain provokes and wins the First Opium War with China; forces concessions in the Treaty of Nanjing, including the opening of fi ve ports to foreign trade and missionary activity. 1847 Wong Chin Foo is born in Jimo, Shandong Province, China, to a well-to-do family. 1850–71 The Taiping Rebellion, led by a religious fanatic, is fought against the Qing dynasty. Rebels gain control of a large swath of southern China before being defeated. 1856–60 Britain and France win the Second Opium War and force additional concessions from China, including the opening of diplomatic missions and 11 additional ports. 1860 Wong arrives with his father in reduced circumstances in Zhifu (now Yantai), Shandong, which opens to foreign commerce in this year. 1861 Taken in by Southern Baptist missionary Rev. J. Landrum Holmes and wife Sallie. Rev. Holmes is murdered by bandits soon afterward. 1862 Sallie Holmes bears a son and moves her household to Dengzhou (now Penglai), Shandong, where she begins 20 years of missionary work. 1867 Baptized into the Baptist faith in Dengzhou. Accompanies Sallie Holmes to America. 1868 U.S. and China sign the Burlingame Treaty, which guaran- tees U.S. non-interference in China’s internal affairs and effectively encourages Chinese immigration to America.