Donaldina Cameron
Encyclopedia
Donaldina Cameron was a Presbyterian missionary, who advocated for social justice. She rescued and educated more than 3,000 Chinese
slave girls and women during her ministry, in San Francisco, from 1895 to 1934.
(see the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Page Act of 1875
) prevented most Chinese men from sending for their families back in China. Girls and young women were shipped to the United States illegally, presenting forged papers saying they were related to upper-class Chinese men already in California
. Younger girls were sold as "Mui Tsai
s", domestic servants, while older girls and women were sold into prostitution
, sometimes by their own families. Many "Mui Tsais" were sold into prostitution when they reached their early teens. A Chinese prostitute lived a brutal, short life, usually dying within five years.
. When she was two years of age, she and her family moved to California. In 1895, Cameron started working as a sewing teacher at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls, founded in 1874 by the Presbyterian Church. While working at the mission, she began to participate with the city's police in the rescue of women and girls held captive, wielding an axe during nighttime raids on cribs and brothels. With the death in 1897 of Margaret Culbertson, the mission's superintendent, Cameron's responsibilities increased. In 1900, she became Superintendent of the Mission Home. Cameron became known as "Lo Mo" or Beloved Mother to those she rescued, and "Fahn Quai", or White Devil, to those they were rescued from. She came to be known as the "Angry Angel of Chinatown".
In April 1906, the great San Francisco earthquake and fire forced evacuation of the Mission Home. Realizing that the records that gave her guardianship over the young women had been left behind, Cameron re-entered the burning building to retrieve them. She then led her wards across the bay, first to Marin County and then to Oakland. While the records were saved, the Mission Home itself was destroyed, one of many buildings dynamited to try to stop the spreading fire. The Mission Home was rebuilt in 1908 and remains standing today at 920 Sacramento Street. It was renamed Donaldina Cameron House in 1942 and is now a comprehensive family service agency, serving low-income and other Asian immigrants and families, many residing in Chinatown. Cameron also founded two homes for Chinese children who were orphans or the children of the rescued women: the Chung Mei Home for boys (led by Dr. Charles R. Shepherd) and the Ming Quong Home for girls. The former Chung Mei Home is today a part of the Windrush School in El Cerrito, California
, while the building which housed Ming Quong is today a part of Mills College
in Oakland, California
.
After she retired, Donaldina Cameron moved to Palo Alto to be near family members. She died at age 98, on January 4, 1968. She is interred in Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles
.
Frank Chin
accuses Cameron of racism, rescuing Chinese prostitutes only from brothels that served Chinese men while blessing those that served white men.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
slave girls and women during her ministry, in San Francisco, from 1895 to 1934.
Background
The laws limiting Chinese immigration to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(see the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Page Act of 1875
Page Act of 1875
The Page Act of 1875 was the first federal immigration law and prohibited the entry of immigrants considered "undesirable." The law classified as "undesirable" any individual from Asia who was coming to America to be a contract laborer, any Asian woman who would engage in prostitution, and all...
) prevented most Chinese men from sending for their families back in China. Girls and young women were shipped to the United States illegally, presenting forged papers saying they were related to upper-class Chinese men already in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Younger girls were sold as "Mui Tsai
Mui tsai
Mui Tsai , which means "little sister" in Cantonese, describes young Chinese women who worked as domestic servants in China, or in brothels or affluent Chinese households in San Francisco. The young women were typically from poor families, and sold at a young age, under the condition that they be...
s", domestic servants, while older girls and women were sold into prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, sometimes by their own families. Many "Mui Tsais" were sold into prostitution when they reached their early teens. A Chinese prostitute lived a brutal, short life, usually dying within five years.
Life and career
Donaldina Cameron was born in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. When she was two years of age, she and her family moved to California. In 1895, Cameron started working as a sewing teacher at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls, founded in 1874 by the Presbyterian Church. While working at the mission, she began to participate with the city's police in the rescue of women and girls held captive, wielding an axe during nighttime raids on cribs and brothels. With the death in 1897 of Margaret Culbertson, the mission's superintendent, Cameron's responsibilities increased. In 1900, she became Superintendent of the Mission Home. Cameron became known as "Lo Mo" or Beloved Mother to those she rescued, and "Fahn Quai", or White Devil, to those they were rescued from. She came to be known as the "Angry Angel of Chinatown".
In April 1906, the great San Francisco earthquake and fire forced evacuation of the Mission Home. Realizing that the records that gave her guardianship over the young women had been left behind, Cameron re-entered the burning building to retrieve them. She then led her wards across the bay, first to Marin County and then to Oakland. While the records were saved, the Mission Home itself was destroyed, one of many buildings dynamited to try to stop the spreading fire. The Mission Home was rebuilt in 1908 and remains standing today at 920 Sacramento Street. It was renamed Donaldina Cameron House in 1942 and is now a comprehensive family service agency, serving low-income and other Asian immigrants and families, many residing in Chinatown. Cameron also founded two homes for Chinese children who were orphans or the children of the rescued women: the Chung Mei Home for boys (led by Dr. Charles R. Shepherd) and the Ming Quong Home for girls. The former Chung Mei Home is today a part of the Windrush School in El Cerrito, California
El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California
-Transportation:The city's primary transportation infrastructure consists of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations along with several local bus lines, operated by AC Transit, providing access to the surrounding area and the nearby cities of Albany, Berkeley and Richmond...
, while the building which housed Ming Quong is today a part of Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
After she retired, Donaldina Cameron moved to Palo Alto to be near family members. She died at age 98, on January 4, 1968. She is interred in Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Frank Chin
Frank Chin
Frank Chin is an American author and playwright.- Life and career :Frank Chin was born in Berkeley, California, but was raised to the age of six by a retired Vaudeville couple in Placerville, California. At six his mother brought him back to the San Francisco Bay Area to live in Oakland Chinatown...
accuses Cameron of racism, rescuing Chinese prostitutes only from brothels that served Chinese men while blessing those that served white men.
See also
- Tye Leung SchulzeTye Leung SchulzeTye Leung Schulze was the first Chinese American woman to cast a ballot in San Francisco on May 19, 1912. The San Francisco Call stated that she was "the first Chinese woman in the history of the world to exercise the electoral franchise." Schulze was also the first Chinese woman hired to work at...
, Cameron mentored Schulze, who would assist Cameron in saving enslaved Chinese in San Francisco
Further reading
- Mildred Crowl Martin: Chinatown's Angry Angel, The Story of Donaldina Cameron, (Palo Alto, California, Pacific Books, 1977)
- Carol Green Wilson: Chinatown Quest, (Stanford, California, Stanford University Press, 1931 and 1950)