The Boston Chinatown Atlas is a project led by MIT Professor Emeritus Tunney Lee which documents the history of Chinese Americans in Boston and the Chinatown neighborhood. In partnership with the National Park Service and filmmaker Kenneth Eng, CHSNE produced a series of short videos to extend the Chinatown Atlas’s reach. Learn more at ChinatownAtlas.org.
Join MIT Professor Emeritus Tunney Lee as he explores the history of Boston's Chinatown from it's earliest days. Watch the series on our YouTube channel and on our Facebook page.
Strikebreakers [Pre-Exclusion]
Many early Chinese immigrants to the United States came to escape war and famine at home and seek job opportunities abroad. On the West Coast, early Chinese immigrants were faced with discrimination and racial violence. In 1870, a group of 75 Chinese workers arrived in the Sampson Shoe Factory in North Adams, MA. Their arrival marked the first recorded Chinese community on the East Coast. They were soon followed by other Chinese workers.
Chinatown [Exclusion]
Boston’s Chinatown began to take its form in the 1870’s, and was the hub of New England’s Chinese American community. Chinese Americans in Boston endured poverty, crime, immigration raids, and repeated efforts by city officials to dismantle the community.
Chinatown History Tour Fri, September 28th, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the history of Boston's Chinatown? Join CHSNE on this walking tour to explore Chinatown's early history and learn how its community has changed over the decades!
CHSNE NEEDS YOU! CHSNE is a membership-based 501(c)(3)non-profit organization dedicated solely to documenting, preserving, and promoting the history and legacy of Chinese immigration in New England. Please consider becoming a member or donating to help cover our projects and operating expenses.
