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of the United States and for some time lived at Charlestown, South Carolina. His wife was an American woman. His dress was a bizarre combination of Western and Chinese modes.
He was an early arrival in San Francisco and operated for a time the Macau and Wosung Restaurant. His domination of the Chinese population was heavy-handed, but it was challenged by an equally colourful character, A-toy, the doyen of San Francisco's "women of pleasure."
The transfer of leadership came just at the time the question of Chinese labour was becoming a political issue in California. A bill to introduce contract labour was put before the State Legislature. Due to a slump in available cheap labour, the merchants wished to import it from China.
The miners were strongly opposed. They viewed contract labour as capitalist exploitation of immigrants who would work under living conditions that free miners would not endure. Contract labour was regarded by them as an economic threat. This view appeared to be that of the political majority, and Governor Bigler addressed the legislature in April 1852, opposing the legislation of contract labour.
His address had been noted by the few Chinese who could read English. They, in turn, explained it to the general Chinese community.
As representatives of their fellow countrymen, Hab Wa of the Sam Wo Company and Tong A-chick of the Tun Wo Company published a letter replying to the Governor's remarks. In it, they emphasised the important economic contribution to the state made by the business of the Chinese merchants. They emphasised that Chinese immigrants were not coolies under contract but free labourers.
The letter did not stem the anti-Chinese feeling of the miners, but it did influence more of the American merchants to support the Chinese cause. This encouraged the Chinese in their efforts to win a hearing. They sent Tong A-chick to discuss this with Gover-
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of the United States and for some time lived at Charlestown, South Carolina. His wife was an American woman. His dress was a bizarre combination of Western and Chinese modes.
He was an early arrival in San Francisco and operated for a time the Macau and Wosung Restaurant. His domination of the Chi- nese population was heavy handed, but it was challenged by an equally colourful character, A-toy, the doyen of San Francisco's "women of pleasure."
The transfer of leadership came just at the time the question of Chinese labour was becoming a political issue in California. A bill to introduce contract labour was put before the State Legislature. Due to slump in available cheap labour, the merchants wished to import it from China.
The miners were strongly opposed. They viewed contract la- bour as capitalist exploitation of immigrants who would work under living conditions that free miners would not endure. Con- tract labour was regarded by them as an economic threat. This view appeared to be that of the political majority and Governor Bigler addressed the legislature in April, 1852, opposing the legis- lation of contract labour.
His address had been noted by the few Chinese who could read English. They, in turn, explained it to the general Chinese commu- nity.
As representatives of their fellow countrymen, Hab Wa of the Sam Wo Company and Tong A-chick of the Tun Wo Company published a letter replying to the Governor's remarks. In it they emphasised the important economic contribution to the state made by the business of the Chinese merchants. They emphasised that Chinese immigrants were not coolies under contract but free labourers.
The letter did not stem the anti-Chinese feeling of the miners, but it did influence more of the American merchants to support the Chinese cause. This encouraged the Chinese in their efforts to win a hearing. They sent Tong A-chick to discuss this with Gover-
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