11/26/2022 0 Comments Fairbanks ward chinaDespite the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which severely restricted immigration, Chinese neighborhoods – “Chinatowns” – were springing up in many larger cities, and not just on the West Coast. Cross-country rail travel had improved mightily since the completion of the first route in 1869 (ironically, built largely with Chinese labor), but even with the rise of steamships and without the need for a dangerous and lengthy voyage around Cape Horn, passage from Asia was measured in weeks.īut American attitudes were also changing. (Since bigotry prefers generalities, for the most part it was extended to all Asians.) So, too, were the practicalities of travel. The anti-Chinese atmosphere in the United States of the 1880s was certainly a factor. Fully one-quarter of the class was from China. The Senior Class, from the 1910 yearbook The Log. But with the notable exception of Williston’s first two Siamese (Thai) students, Nai Kawn, class of 1884, and Boon Itt, 1885, there was practically no attendance from any Asian countries. That is perhaps not surprising, since the United States had significant political and business interests there. There were significant enrollments of international students (by whom we mean citizens of other countries, not American dependents of diplomats, businessmen, or missionaries) from Latin America, notably Cuba and Panama. Fairbanks (served 1878-1884) and William Gallagher (served 1886-1896) had little interest in maintaining international diversity. There were several factors, not the least of which may have been that Williston’s Principals, Joseph W. The closing of the Chinese Educational Mission and the recall of its students to China in 1881 ended Chinese attendance at Williston Seminary for the next twenty-three years. Note: For Part I of this article, please see The First Chinese Students at Williston.
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