Anti-Chinese Prejudice in America: The Rock Springs Massacre

A Documentary History of Anti-Chinese Prejudice in America

Foreword - "Chink!" - Edited by Cheng-Tsu Wu

Los Angeles Street Attack (January 7, 1894 - C.P. Dorland Account)

• Event Description: A mob attacked Chinese residents on Los Angeles Street.

• Casualties:

  • 10 men were found hanged on Los Angeles Street, some to a wagon, some to an awning.

  • 5 more men were found at Tomlinson's corral.

  • 4 men were shot in Nigger Alley.

  • 2 men were wounded and taken to the city jail.

• Mob Actions: The fighting had ceased, and the mob was dispersing when the narrator arrived.

• Victim Innocence: It is believed that no Chinese person murdered was implicated in the initial shooting, except for Ah Choy. The leaders, Yo Hing and his gang, fled when the fight began.

• Security: Guards were stationed throughout Chinatown and around principal buildings occupied by Chinese.

Memorial of Chinese Laborers Resident at Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory, to the Chinese Consul at New York (1885)

Dated: September 18, 1885

Background of Chinese Laborers in Rock Springs

• Duration of Stay: Chinese laborers lived in Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory, for periods ranging from 1 to 15 years.

• Employment: They worked on railroads and in coal mines.

• Initial Relations: Prior to the recent troubles, they worked alongside white men without ill feeling.

• Company Treatment: Company officers treated both Chinese and white men kindly, placing both races on the same footing and paying the same wages.

Origins of Animosity: The Wage Dispute

• White Men's Request: White men repeatedly asked Chinese laborers to join them in demanding a wage increase from the companies.

• Chinese Dissent: The Chinese inquired about actions if the companies refused to increase wages. The white men proposed a strike. The Chinese dissented from striking.

• Consequence: This refusal excited the animosity of the white men against the Chinese.

Escalation of Prejudice

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