3.3 Specific Incidents of Racial Prejudice

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 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. They stormed the streets, looted houses, and killed innocent people.

In 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. Still, the Chinese persevered and rebuilt. The Chinese built their own hydrant system so that they did not have to rely on the fire department in the case of a fire.