Wong Chin Foo

When Wong Chin Foo came to New York in the 1870's for a better life he must have been disappointed by racist attitudes toward Chinese immigrants. At the time Chinese immigrants were not granted equal  opportunities.   The passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which suspended immigration from China and prevented naturalization for Chinese immigrants, only increased tensions for thousands of Chinese born residents living through out Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Wong Chin Foo  recognized that education was necessary to combat intolerance.  He advocated for his community by publishing a newspaper called The Chinese American.  The newspaper helped to dispel anti-Chinese sentiments and defended the honor of a misunderstood culture.  Wong Chin Foo wrote many articles advocating for equal treatment under the law. The Museum of the City of New York highlights Wong Chin Foo in the Hidden Voices exhibit. Listen to an interview with Scott Seiligman posted on the National Committee on U.S. China Relations discussing his remarkable life.