The Chinese in California, 1850-1925
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Det. Sergt. Walsh and his China Town
Squad, January 1921
Photos of Chinese opium smokers in there
[sic] dens in China Town in 1889
Highbinders and Tong Wars
Historical Comprehension: Law and Order in San Francisco's Chinatown
Users of this collection have the opportunity to see how effectively images can convey historical information. Search on Cook Scrapbooks for a series of 75 photographs documenting San Francisco's Chinatown. Many pertain to the community's law enforcement, including a photograph of a "Peace Meeting" in February 1921 between the Hip Sings, Ping Koongs, and law enforcement officers and photographs of the China Town Squads of 1898, 1904, 1921, and 1924 . Examine the photographs to learn about law enforcement in Chinatown.
- What part of the Chinese community appears to be involved in the "Peace Meeting" with law enforcement officers?
- Judging by the photographs of the China Town Squads, does it appear that the city recruited Chinese policemen?
- What inferences can you draw regarding law enforcement in San Francisco's Chinatown from the Cook Scrapbooks series?
Formulate other search terms to find more items pertaining to law enforcement in Chinatown. Search on crime, for example, for an article published in The Wave called "Highbinders and Tong Wars" about the Tongs, or associations, in San Francisco's Chinatown.
- What were the Tongs?
- Why were they established?
- Why was there such opposition to the Tongs?
- To what extent does the article show a bias?