10. Chinese Man with Child, c. 1895

Many hundreds of Chinese immigrants began arriving in Oregon in the mid-1850s. During these early years of immigration, most male Chinese immigrants, whether they were laborers, merchants, or houseboys, wore a long braid with silk woven into the ends, called a queue. With time, assimilation to western dress occurred as is displayed by this man’s brimmed hat. Traditional hats were small brimless black silk caps or, for outdoor workers, a wide straw hat shaped something like a cone.

By 1890, Portland’s Chinese population had grown until one in ten residents was Chinese, however, few of these Chinese residents were women. Anti-immigration laws targeted Chinese women as early as 1873 and strict anti-Chinese immigration laws directed against men and women continued to gain passage in Congress through the 1940s.