3.3 Notable Incidents of Racial Prejudice in California

On October 24, 1871, an incident of gang warfare, known as the Chinese Massacre, left as many as two-dozen Chinese dead. A white police officer entered the neighborhood known as “Nigger Alley” when he heard gunfire in Chinatown. Two Chinese tongs were fighting over a Chinese woman. The police offer was shot and called for help. A white man rushed to his aid and was killed. A mob of several hundred white people sought revenge for the white blood that had been spilt. They stormed the streets, looted houses, and killed innocent people.

By the 1800s, harassment of the Chinese in San Jose had become extreme. Chinatowns in the area were consistently victims of arson. The San Jose’s fire department was not quick to extinguish the fires, which led to the destruction of several Chinatowns. Chinese immigrants were constantly forced to relocate. During the late 1860s to 1887, at least five Chinatowns were built to compensate for the destruction. As the immigrants made plans to rebuild, "the city passed an ordinance requiring all new residents to be tied into the new sewer system" (Baxter, 31). Still, the Chinese persevered and rebuilt. They moved forward with their plans despite the cost and also built their own hydrant system. The system was designed to ensure protection in the case of a fire since they could not rely on the fire department.