Chinese immigrants began arriving in the Northwest in the 1870s.

Some key historical questions: What brought them here? How did they communicate with the larger community of setters and native communities? How did they overcome setbacks like the Anti-Chinese Riots of the 1880s and obstacles such as laws that restricted Chinese immigrants from settling and owning land? How did Chinese immigrant communities create and use organizations to develop cultural institutions and economic growth despite such limitations on personal liberty? What was the role of Chinese language newspapers? How can the experiences of individuals, families or organizations be used to interpret this topic?

Consider other possibilities for historical questions.

Primary Sources

Territorial Governor Squire's Papers	Washington State Archives - State Government Archives
King County Articles of Incorporation King County Assessor Real Property Record Cards	Washington State Archives - Puget Sound Regional Archives
Howard Busell Audio Collection - Interview With Arthur Granger	Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Historical Reference Collection	Dayton Memorial Library
Immigration and Naturalization Service Chinese Immigrant files	National Archives - Pacific Alaska Region
Clarence Bagley Papers China Club of Seattle Records Regional Newspaper and Periodical Index	University of Washington Libraries - Special Collections
Chinese Empire Reform Association	University of Washington Libraries - East Asia Library
Chinese in Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest Collection Ephemera Collection - Includes Anti-Chinese Handbills	Washington State Historical Society - Special Collections Division
Boy Scout Troop 254 Scrapbooks Chinese Immigration Applications Willard Jue Photographs Wing Luke Museum Scrapbooks	Wing Luke Asian Museum
Interior Department Territorial Papers, Washington, 1854-1902 William Billings Papers	Washington State Library

Secondary Sources

Reflections of Seattle's Chinese Americans: The First 100 Years by Ron Chew
Anti-Chinese Violence in North America edited by Roger Daniels
East of Occidental (videorecording)
Peoples of Washington: Perspectives on Cultural Diversity by Side White and S.E. Solberg
Straw Hats, Sandals and Steel: The Chinese in Washington State by Lorraine B. Hildebrand

History Link: http://www.historylink.org/This_week/index.cfm Search on "Chinese Immigrants"