The Paper Daughters of Chinatown

by Heather B. Moore

Besides passing punitive ordinances aimed specifically at the Chinese, the California legislature denied them basic civil rights, including immigration rights, employment in public works, intermarriage with whites, ability to give testimony in court, and the right to own land.

“Three Obediences: Obey your father before marriage. Obey your husband when married. Obey your sons in widowhood. “Four Virtues: Female virtues. Female words. Female appearances. Female work.” —Ban Zhao, Lessons for Women, 80 CE 1903

“SEC. 11. That any person who shall knowingly bring into or cause to be brought into the United States by land, or who shall knowingly aid or abet the same, or aid or abet the landing in the United States from any vessel of any Chinese person not lawfully entitled to enter the United States, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. . . . “SEC. 14. That hereafter no State court or court of the United States shall admit Chinese to citizenship; and all laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.” —Chinese Exclusion Act, approved May 6, 1882, US Congress 1903