The First Chinese American: The Remarkable Life of Wong Chin Foo

Contents

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 flees 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 officials, and in which a Manchu prince demands his extradition to China. 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 first 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 NewYork’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, flees to Michigan, and then returns to Chicago. 9. The Chinese American (1883) 89 In which Wong relocates to New York and establishes the first 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 first 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 firestorm of opposition from many quarters. 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 fight new burdens imposed on America’s...