Cook cut his eyes to hers, and his jovial mood sobered. “It’s true that the earthquake destroyed much, Miss Cameron. You could say it laid wide open the underbelly of Chinatown. The destruction and fires uncovered passageways and tunnels of the opium dens and prostitution cribs, some of them three stories beneath the ground.” He took off his hat, scrubbed at his hair, then replaced his hat. “All of this was laid out for the city officials to witness. No one could brush the problems of Chinatown under the table any longer.”
While some politicians and government leaders turned a blind eye to the underbelly of Chinatown, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake exposed the underground brothels and opium dens. The darkness was brought to light and could no longer be ignored. This became a catalyst for future laws and protections that were put into place.
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