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The Chinatown War: Chinese Los Angeles and the Massacre of 1871
Author(s): Scott Zesch (Author)
- Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
- Publication Date: 29 Jun. 2012
- Edition: Illustrated
- Language: English
- Print length: 304 pages
- ISBN-10: 019975876X
- ISBN-13: 9780199758760
Book Description
In The Chinatown War, Scott Zesch offers a compelling account of this little-known event, which ranks among the worst hate crimes in American history. The story begins in the 1850s, when the first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Los Angeles in the wake of the 1849 California gold rush. Upon arrival, these immigrants usually took up low-wage jobs, settled in the slum neighborhood of the Calle de los Negros, and joined one of a number of Chinese community associations. Though such associations provided job placement and other services to their members, they were also involved in extortion and illicit businesses, including prostitution. In 1870 the largest of these, the See-Yup Company, imploded in an acrimonious division. The violent succession battle that ensued, as well as the highly publicized torture of Chinese prostitute Sing-Ye, eventually provided the spark for the racially motivated riot that ripped through L.A. Zesch vividly evokes the figures and events in the See-Yup
dispute, deftly situates the riot within its historical and political context, and illuminates the workings of the early Chinese-American community in Los Angeles, while simultaneously exploring issues that continue to trouble Americans today.
Engaging and deeply researched, The Chinatown War above all delivers a riveting story of a dominant American city and the darker side of its early days that offers powerful insights for our own time.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Thanks to a new book by Scott Zesch, the rampage of gunfire and lynch law that convulsed Los Angeles in 1871 is not likely to be overlooked again. Zesch has written an authoritative and compelling account of a major event in the history of the American West. His vantage point is an unconventional one, however, adding to the significance of The Chinatown War and the power of its narrative.” —California Literary Review
“A powerful look at The Chinatown War. Scott Zesch skillfully reexamines an 1871 massacre of Chinese residents in a Los Angeles undergoing great change, and questions whether the right lessons have been learned.” —Los Angeles Times
“The Chinatown War is an extremely readable account that will shed important light on this largely unknown but important chapter in U.S. history. In many ways, its engaging prose, clear organization, and short chapters offer an excellent model for academic historians interested in writing for more general audiences.” —The Journal of American History
About the Author
Scott Zesch is the author of The Captured, which won the 2007 Ray Allen Billington Award and TCU Texas Book Award. He lives in Mason County, Texas, and New York City.
