Preface: This blog originated as part of my senior project on Folsom’s Chinatown while I earned a Bachelor of Arts in History at Sonoma State University. When analyzing recently digitized census records, newspaper articles, and county assessor maps, I uncovered evidence of a dynamic community in Folsom, that was home to a myriad of different people living in the area. Although Folsom had an expansive Chinatown during the late-1800s, there were signs that a portion of the community was not supportive of the growing Chinese population. In this blog, I explore some of the evidence of anti-Chinese sentiment that I found within The Folsom Telegraph during the 1860s.
As Ah Tim was stepping out of a chicken coup that he broke into, late on September 7, 1868, in Folsom, California, he was shot in the arm and arrested.[i] The following weekend, The Folsom Telegraph newspaper referred to him as a “notorious chicken thief,” claiming it was his fifth time being convicted of stealing chickens and each time he “changed his name.” [ii] Whether Ah Tim was in fact a routine chicken thief or not is only part of this story, as his experience mirrors that of dozens of other Chinese residents in Folsom during the 1860s, who were all subjected to a growing anti-Chinese movement. Ah Tim ultimately survived the shooting and was sentenced to ninety days in the Sacramento County jail, but his story lives on and adds to the complex narrative of early Chinese immigration into the United States. [iii]
The experience of Chinese immigrants in the American West was multifaceted, and anti-Chinese sentiment existed in numerous ways depending on the context and location. Still, they all followed a similar pattern and framework, viewing the Chinese as a threat to the livelihood of white American and European people. By studying Folsom’s history using newer techniques and analyzing previously unseen or ignored evidence, it becomes apparent that portions of the city's population were unsupportive of the growing Chinese community. In Folsom during the 1860s, Chinese people were often assumed to be chicken thieves, threatening the survival of those whose chickens were stolen. These acts were also commonly tied to Chinese cultural practices. In this blog, I analyze the conditions within Folsom’s society that caused Chinese residents to be targeted by this type of rhetoric.
Following the Gold Rush, people from across the world flooded into the mining communities of the Sierra Nevada mountains and foothills. Newcomers were filled with excitement and avarice, as those who lingered around quickly became disillusioned, resentful, and violent. [iv] The constant pursuit of gold forged jealousy and festered fears of poverty, tormenting those who failed to make the fated discovery. [v] Seeking fortune, Chinese immigrants settled into these communities, only to be met with mounting hostility from different groups of people. [vi] This antagonism expressed itself in numerous ways across the state and region, culminating in the ban of Chinese immigration with the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. [vii] In 1860, roughly 430 of the nearly 3,000 people living in the Folsom area were ethnically Chinese, and most of them worked as miners. [viii] Despite the prospects of individual mining beginning to decline by 1860, Chinese people continued to travel to Folsom in the following decade for mining opportunities and were typically able to survive off a lower sustenance level than other groups. [ix]
As the conditions in the American West during the Gold Rush were difficult to survive, some people turned to stealing, making Folsom heavily prone to criminal activity. [x] American, European, and Chinese people were all commonly reported in The Folsom Telegraph as having committed theft and robbery. Famous outlaws such as Tom Bell and Rattlesnake Dick commonly preyed on miners and stagecoaches as they made their way through foothills. [xi] However, Chinese people were often presumed to be thieves in unsolved cases. For example, on January 27, 1866, the Telegraph reported, “The sluices of Finnegan & Company were robbed on Wednesday night last…It is supposed that Chinamen were the perpetrators of the crime.” [xii] It was depictions such as this that worked to spread anti-Chinese sentiment, portraying Chinese people as thieves regardless of any proof. Although Folsom’s Chinatown existed into the 1900s, it appears they were quickly viewed as a threat to the people living in the area in ways other groups were not.
Chickens, emblematic of sustenance, were often targeted by thieves following the Gold Rush, with dozens of articles published in the Telegraph during this period reporting on their theft. Although Folsom was a mining town in the 1860s, with most people recorded in the 1860 and 1870 censuses stating they were miners, there was a growing population of ranchers. [xiii] On the outskirts of town were dozens of farms and ranching communities where many people began to raise cattle and poultry. These sources of food quickly became a common target for thieves in the area and may have been committed by miners who were unable to live off mining alone. On December 1, 1866, the Telegraph reported that, “George Roberts [a presumably white American or European-born man] was convicted in Justice Quigley’s court, of petit larceny, for stealing four chickens.” [xiv] Although there were reports, such as this one, which depicted white people as chicken thieves, it was Chinese people who were commonly associated with chicken stealing or were referred to as “notorious Chinese chicken” thieves. [xv]
Throughout the 1860s, multiple warnings were published in local newspapers alerting people of the threat Chinese people posed in stealing their chickens. Oftentimes these warnings would take place at the end of reports of Chinese people stealing, with quick phrases like, “Guard well your hen-coops.” [xvi] However, these warnings would often occur unexpectedly in articles. For instance, on March 24, 1866, it was reported in the Telegraph that “A pair of Chinamen were… [arrested for] breaking into a building at White Rock, and stealing therefrom a lot of clothing.” [xvii] Despite the crime having nothing to do with stealing chickens, the article ends by stating, “They are old members of the Folsom chicken gang, but having concluded to try their hands at one of the higher degrees of ‘nipping’ were caught in the act.” [xviii] The inclusion of “higher degrees of ‘nipping’” is intriguing as it indicates an assumption that if a Chinese person was planning on stealing, they would most likely steal chickens. [xix] Only in stealing other items are they committing a crime that is uncommon for a Chinese person to do, rising above what is typical of them.
Along with being reported in the newspaper as chicken thieves, newspaper articles published around the Lunar New Year commonly came with warnings that Chinese people would steal chickens. On February 17, 1866, the Telegraph published an article that stated, “The Celestials [a derogatory term used to describe Chinese people], during the week, have been active in celebrating their New Year, by a continuous firing of crackers, stealing chickens, and causing teams to ‘skedaddle.’” [xx] Another example includes, “Look out for your chickens--John’s [another derogatory term historically used to refer to Chinese men], festive days are coming, and he prefers feathers and all.” [xxi] Warnings such as this not only show that Chinese people were commonly associated with stealing chickens, but also show the belief that stealing chickens was tied to Chinese cultural practices.
This begs the question, however: Why did Folsom residents believe Chinese people were chicken thieves, and why was it seemingly tied to their cultural practices or seen as the typical crime for them to commit? There is ultimately no clear answer to these questions. However, there are aspects of life in the American West and characteristics of Chinese culture that give us insights into why Chinese people might have been viewed as chicken thieves. To start, it was difficult to live in a mining town such as Folsom. Chickens, and other livestock, could feed a hungry person for a few days, and if stolen, the survival of those who owned them was endangered. Chickens were readily available around Folsom and were easy to steal if someone wanted to. Additionally, eating chickens was and still is a common part of Chinese culture when celebrating the Lunar New Year, signifying luck. [xxii] This is most likely the reason for so many warnings leading up to Lunar New Year celebrations of Chinese people stealing chickens.
When placed within the context of a growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the area, it becomes clear that Chinese people were likely scapegoats for those who were looking to find and prosecute any threat to their survival. This parallels many other forms of anti-Chinese sentiment found across the state at the time, which viewed Chinese people as “uncivilized” and a danger to others. [xxiii] While Folsom may seem like a small and inconsequential piece in the puzzle of explaining anti-Chinese sentiment in the American West, it is precisely within these locations that a more complete understanding of anti-Chinese history begins to take shape. The rhetoric against Chinese people began to grow in the decades following the 1860s and transformed in numerous directions.
It’s important to examine these negative aspects of history because they help us understand just how far our community has grown and changed for the better. Unraveling these historical complexities is crucial for a more nuanced and honest understanding of the social dynamics and prejudices that shaped this significant chapter of American, Californian, and Chinese history. Even if certain actions were accepted in the past, it doesn’t mean they weren’t harmful to the people being acted upon, so it is important to acknowledge what has occurred to have an honest and accurate understanding of history. Folsom ultimately has an incredibly dynamic and complex history, and only small portions of its story have ever been told. Uncovering all parts of Folsom’s past is crucial for us to truly understand the city we call home.
This article was written by Folsom History staff member Zachary Vaccarezza. He recently graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts in history, where he studied persecution stories and the American West. As a lifelong resident of Folsom, he has always been intrigued by the city's unique past and the numerous groups that have come to call this area home.
Bibliography:
Secondary Sources
Elinson, Elaine, and Stan Yogi. Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California. 10th ed. Heyday, 2019.
Lew-Williams, Beth. The Chinese Must Go: Violence, Exclusion, and the Making of the Alien in America. Harvard University Press, 2018.
NationsOnline. “Food symbolism during Chinese New Year celebrations,” n.d. https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/food_symbolism.htm.
Winterstein, Herb. Tales of Old Folsom. Booklet. Folsom Historical Society, 1981.
Youngdahl, Marny. “Gold Rush Crime, Disorder, and Law Enforcement.” MA Thesis, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2016.
Primary Sources
“A Chinaman...” The Folsom Telegraph. October 20, 1866, 2.
“Burglars,” The Folsom Telegraph, March 24, 1866, 2.
“Caught.” The Folsom Telegraph. December 1, 1866, 2.
“Chicken Thief” The Folsom Telegraph. September 12, 1868, 3.
“Chinese New Year” The Folsom Telegraph. February 17, 1866, 2.
Census Office, Department of the Interior. “Population Schedules of the Eighth Census of the United States, 1860, California.” National Archives, 1860.
Census Office, Department of the Interior. “Population Schedules of the Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. California.” National Archives, 1870.
"Look out for your chickens...” The Folsom Telegraph. February 2, 1867, 2.
“Sluice Robbery” The Folsom Telegraph. January 27, 1866, 2.
Footnotes:
[i] “Chicken Thief,” The Folsom Telegraph, September 12, 1868, 3.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Youngdahl, “Gold Rush Crime, Disorder, and Law Enforcement” (MA Thesis, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2016).
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Lew-Williams, The Chinese Must Go.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Census Office, Department of the Interior. “Population Schedules of the Eighth Census of the United States, 1860, California.” National Archives, 1860.
[ix] Elinson, and Yogi. Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California.; Census Office, Department of the Interior. “Population Schedules of the Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. California.” National Archives, 1870.
[x] Youngdahl, “Gold Rush Crime, Disorder, and Law Enforcement” (MA Thesis, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2016).
[xi] Winterstein, Tales of Old Folsom, Booklet (Folsom Historical Society, 1981), 19-22.
[xii] “Sluice Robbery,” The Folsom Telegraph, January 27, 1866, 2.
[xiii] Census Office, Department of the Interior. “Population Schedules of the Eighth Census of the United States, 1860, California.” National Archives, 1860.; Census Office, Department of the Interior. “Population Schedules of the Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. California.” National Archives, 1870.
[xiv] “Caught.” The Folsom Telegraph, December 1, 1866, 2.
[xv] “Chicken Thief,” The Folsom Telegraph, September 12, 1868, 3.
[xvi] “A Chinaman,” The Folsom Telegraph, October 20, 1866, 2.
[xvii] “Burglars,” The Folsom Telegraph, May 24, 1866, 2
[xviii] Ibid.
[xix] Ibid.
[xx] “Chinese New Year,” The Folsom Telegraph, February 17, 1866, 2.
[xxi] “Look out for your chickens,” The Folsom Telegraph, February 2, 1867, 2.
[xxii] NationsOnline, “Food Symbolism during Chinese New Year Celebrations.”
[xxiii] Lew-Williams, The Chinese Must Go.; Elinson, and Yogi. Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California.
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