unsubmissive women
...ost if not all cases trying to better their lives, make sense of their surroundings, and make living for their families better. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering that these women endured and sometimes overcame to ultimately save their families or themselves. Before reading “Unsubmissive Women” by Benson Tong, I would be lying if I said I had any knowledge at all of 19th century San Francisco. Though the idea of prostitutes usually has the same reaction in any one person’s imagination, I was surprised, and sometimes disgusted at some things that I was taught through the reading of this book. The book seemed to be very well researched and full of information and facts about the time period, the Chinese prostitutes themselves, why they were there, and their journeys from China to the U.S., where their journeys began, and most of the time ended. Stereo Types of the prostitute in general would maybe be a woman who would give herself to man and doing anything and everything without thinking twice to make money to live. My understanding of this time period, and the Chinese women brought to this country for work has been de- railed by the facts and research in this book. This essay will show its reader that although Chinese prostitutes in 19th century San Francisco seem to be submissive, weak beings content on being slaves for those who will pay, many and most worked very hard to defy what they thought would be their fate. In about 1851 there seemed to be an off balance ratio of Chinese Women to Chinese men in San Francisco. The Chinese men who migrated to the American west for gold left their families at home fearing the “barbarian” frontier would ravage them. The sex ratio was about 1:155 because there were only about 19 Chinese women in San Francisco at the time. The ratio was much better for the non- Chinese, but still the men were out weighing the women. It is mainly for this reason early San Francisco was as corrupt as it was with drinking, smoking, and prostitution. In the beginning prostitutes were so scarce that when they did come out onto the streets they were not looked down upon, but instead admired and respected. There was a small amount of prostitutes in the early 1850’s, but the few that were there took advantage or at least tried to cope with their new surroundings. One Chinese prostitute inpaticular that was emphasized in the book was a prostitute known as Ah- Toy. Ah-Toy is said to possibly be the first Chinese prostitute America, and was very successful and tenacious business woman. She is said to be clever in the way that she always used her sex to her advantage. Dressing the part for appearances in court to persuade a jury was a common practice for Ah-Toy. Ripped dress, hair in knots, and two black eyes was enough to convince a judge she had been attacked by a Caucasian male. Ah-Toy was an admired and highly publicized prostitute with her name constantly showing up in the local news paper to tell what she had done in defense from anyone or any group threatening her business or way of life. On the outside she was a triumphant woman described as “charming” and “strangely alluring”, although underneath she was a busy, struggling working woman in a city under the influence of extreme chaotic growth. Ah-Toy “employed” two Chinese women by the names of “Aloy”, and “Asea” in 1950, according to the state census of 1854. This was the beginning of a money- making, successful business for Ah-Toy and would make her the opposite of a submissive woman of the time. Ah-Toy’s competition as far as business went was scarce with only about four to five independent Chinese prostitutes outside of her boarding houses. A few years after she started hiring, Ah-Toy had two houses for her business and was still growing and becoming a better business woman every day. Though she was making a good living for herself, Tongs began to move in on her business and day to day life became harder to deal with financially, and emotionally. The arrival of Many Chinese prostitutes in late 1853 meant more competition for Ah-Toy. She was eventually forced by pressure resulting from rival tongs to sell her house and move back to China in 1857. Though she had a successful business, a lot of money, and a solid reputation as an outsider, and villain, Ah-Toy eventually caved in and lost everything. Chinese prostitutes began to appear not only in San Francisco, but all over California, often following their country men from mining town to mining town. From the 1850’s to the 1870’s, Chinese prostitutes represented 3 to 5 percent of the Chinese populating in that settlement (Tong, pg 15). Chinese prostitutes began to fluctuate in numbers along with Chinese miners, and by 1870, there were more prostitutes settled in San Francisco than ten years previous. In the mid to late 19th century china was suffering with starvation and poverty. Land was overcrowded and overpriced, and men were unemployed and suffering with the women and children. Natural disasters and famine forced families to push their daughters into marriage and often females were kidnapped and sold into prostitution. Peasant families would sometimes abandon their female children or sell them unknowingly into prostitution. Most of the families thought they were selling their babies as servants, or young brides (Tong pg. 40). There have even been some cases of infanticide, or families drowning their babies in fear they will not be able to provide for them. Girls were looked down upon in the Chinese society which explains why mostly only girls were sold in place of boys. Families with many boys often sold their daughters with less hesitation than a family with maybe only one daughter. A female is taught to submit to male authority weather it be her brother, father, husband, or even her son. Most Chinese daughters sold by their families held no feelings of resentment towards their families. They looked at the situation as sacrificing themselves so the family can live. Many petitioned for the allowance of this practice as to avoid further incidences of infanticide. The Ch’ing government sanctioned the selling of daughters as prostitutes and it became a minor crime which they said was very hard to control. Forced prostitution became a more secret and covert operation after that ruling and females were often tricked into being kidnapped and sold. Some were promised marriage in the States, but upon arrival they were quickly sold into prostitution. Women tricked or forced into prostitution had a hard and long journey to California across the Pacific Ocean. Most women were lied to and told that in America they would become rich women and return to China in triumph. If they would not abide by the rules their victimizers set, they were told if they do not comply, they will be thrown in a “devil”, or American prison. Most of the women brought to America for prostitution were illiterate, and had no way of knowing their rights, or if they were being lied to or not, so they did not decline to cooperate. Yet the women who understood what set fate was built for them reacted to the long ride in a different way. Hoping they could change their future, some lost hope and before getting off of the boat, committed suicide. Many did anything they could to avoid a life of prostitution in America before and during the docking of the boat. The 1860’s was the decade where the most Chinese prostitutes came into America, and from then on, China Town flourished with Chinese Americans. Tong argues that Chinese prostitutes in the mid to late 19th century were victims that were caught in a battle for preeminence between the Chinese Six companies, and the fighting tongs. Chinese prostitutes often and most likely came from the worst living conditions in china, were illiterate, and poverty stricken their entire lives. Making a living for their family was the only honorable thing to do in most situations, and to fight and sacrifice yourself to keep your family alive is one of the noblest things a woman can do. Being separated from your family through such a long distance and with no time to say goodbye was devastating on the minds of Chinese prostitutes on their way to America. The women were promised a better life, and upon arrival in America were looked down on immediately and considered outlaws and outcasts by Euro-Americans and their own country men. These women were not out to make money, they were out against their will in most if not all cases trying to better their lives, make sense of their surroundings, and make living for their families better. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering that these women endured and sometimes overcame to ultimately save their families or themselves. Before reading “Unsubmissive Women” by Benson Tong, I would be lying if I said I had any knowledge at all of 19th century San Francisco. Though the idea of prostitutes usually has the same reaction in any one person’s imagination, I was surprised, and sometimes disgusted at some things that I was taught through the reading of this book. The book seemed to be very well researched and full of information and facts about the time period, the Chinese prostitutes themselves, why they were there, and their journeys from China to the U.S., where their journeys began, and most of the time ended. Stereo Types of the prostitute in general would maybe be a woman who would give herself to man and doing anything and everything without thinking twice to make money to live. My understanding of this time period, and the Chinese women brought to this country for work has been de- railed by the facts and research in this book. This essay will show its reader that although Chinese prostitutes in 19th century San Francisco seem to be submissive, weak beings content on being slaves for those who will pay, many and most worked very hard to defy what they thought would be their fate. In about 1851 there seemed to be an off balance ratio of Chinese Women to Chinese men in San Francisco. The Chinese men who migrated to the American west for gold left their families at home fearing the “barbarian” frontier would ravage them. The sex ratio was about 1:155 because there were only about 19 Chinese women in San Francisco at the time. The ratio was much better for the non- Chinese, but still the men were out weighing the women. It is mainly for this reason early San Francisco was as corrupt as it was with drinking, smoking, and prostitution. In the beginning prostitutes were so scarce that when they did come out onto the streets they were not looked down upon, but instead admired and respected. There was a small amount of prostitutes in the early 1850’s, but the few that were there took advantage or at least tried to cope with their new surroundings. One Chinese prostitute inpaticular that was emphasized in the book was a prostitute known as Ah- Toy. Ah-Toy is said to possibly be the first Chinese prostitute America, and was very successful and tenacious business woman. She is said to be clever in the way that she always used her sex to her advantage. Dressing the part for appearances in court to persuade a jury was a common practice for Ah-Toy. Ripped dress, hair in knots, and two black eyes was enough to convince a judge she had been attacked by a Caucasian male. Ah-Toy was an admired and highly publicized prostitute with her name constantly showing up in the local news paper to tell what she had done in defense from anyone or any group threatening her business or way of life. On the outside she was a triumphant woman described as “charming” and “strangely alluring”, although underneath she was a busy, struggling working woman in a city under the influence of extreme chaotic growth. Ah-Toy “employed” two Chinese women by the names of “Aloy”, and “Asea” in 1950, according to the state census of 1854. This was the beginning of a money- making, successful business for Ah-Toy and would make her the opposite of a submissive woman of the time. Ah-Toy’s competition as far as business went was scarce with only about four to five independent Chinese prostitutes outside of her boarding houses. A few years after she started hiring, Ah-Toy had two houses for her business and was still growing and becoming a better business woman every day. Though she was making a good living for herself, Tongs began to move in on her business and day to day life became harder to deal with financially, and emotionally. The arrival of Many Chinese prostitutes in late 1853 meant more competition for Ah-Toy. She was eventually forced by pressure resulting from rival tongs to sell her house and move back to China in 1857. Though she had a successful business, a lot of money, and a solid reputation as an outsider, and villain, Ah-Toy eventually caved in and lost everything. Chinese prostitutes began to appear not only in San Francisco, but all over California, often following their country men from mining town to mining town. From the 1850’s to the 1870’s, Chinese prostitutes represented 3 to 5 percent of the Chinese populating in that settlement (Tong, pg 15). Chinese prostitutes began to fluctuate in numbers along with Chinese miners, and by 1870, there were more prostitutes settled in San Francisco than ten years previous. In the mid to late 19th century china was suffering with starvation and poverty. Land was overcrowded and overpriced, and men were unemployed and suffering with the women and children. Natural disasters and famine forced families to push their daughters into marriage and often females were kidnapped and sold into prostitution. Peasant families would sometimes abandon their female children or sell them unknowingly into prostitution. Most of the families thought they were selling their babies as servants, or young brides (Tong pg. 40). There have even been some cases of infanticide, or families drowning their babies in fear they will not be able to provide for them. Girls were looked down upon in the Chinese society which explains why mostly only girls were sold in place of boys. Families with many boys often sold their daughters with less hesitation than a family with maybe only one daughter. A female is taught to submit to male authority weather it be her brother, father, husband, or even her son. Most Chinese daughters sold by their families held no feelings of resentment towards their families. They looked at the situation as sacrificing themselves so the family can live. Many petitioned for the allowance of this practice as to avoid further incidences of infanticide. The Ch’ing government sanctioned the selling of daughters as prostitutes and it became a minor crime which they said was very hard to control. Forced prostitution became a more secret and covert operation after that ruling and females were often tricked into being kidnapped and sold. Some were promised marriage in the States, but upon arrival they were quickly sold into prostitution. Women tricked or forced into prostitution had a hard and long journey to California across the Pacific Ocean. Most women were lied to and told that in America they would become rich women and return to China in triumph. If they would not abide by the rules their victimizers set, they were told if they do not comply, they will be thrown in a “devil”, or American prison. Most of the women brought to America for prostitution were illiterate, and had no way of knowing their rights, or if they were being lied to or not, so they did not decline to cooperate. Yet the women who understood what set fate was built for them reacted to the long ride in a different way. Hoping they could change their future, some lost hope and before getting off of the boat, committed suicide. Many did anything they could to avoid a life of prostitution in America before and during the docking of the boat. The 1860’s was the decade where the most Chinese prostitutes came into America, and from then on, China Town flourished with Chinese Americans. Tong argues that Chinese prostitutes in the mid to late 19th century were victims that were caught in a battle for preeminence between the Chinese Six companies, and the fighting tongs. Chinese prostitutes often and most likely came from the worst living conditions in china, were illiterate, and poverty stricken their entire lives. Making a living for their family was the only honorable thing to...