Gentlewomen: The Westernizing of Chinese American Prostitutes in San Francisco, 1870-1940 A History on Chinese American Prostitution, Missionaries and the Law

Author

Jennifer Becker Dykman, Georgia State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

4-2-2010

Degree Type

Closed Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Christine Skwiot - Committee Chair

Second Advisor

Jared Poley - Committee Member

Abstract

By considering San Francisco’s legal, social, and cultural history during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in relation to American law, missionary women, and Chinese American prostitutes, this thesis argues that by aggressively trying to control Chinese sexuality through laws, “yellow slave” narratives, Christianizing, and the immigration process, the American government and missionaries created an atmosphere ripe for Chinese prostitutes in America with varying degrees of sexual freedoms.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/1340746

Recommended Citation

Dykman, Jennifer Becker, "Gentlewomen: The Westernizing of Chinese American Prostitutes in San Francisco, 1870-1940 A History on Chinese American Prostitution, Missionaries and the Law." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2010.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1340746