In the summer of 1874, a ship carrying hundreds of passengers arrived in the port of San Francisco after a monthlong voyage from Hong Kong. As everyone disembarked, 22 women were singled out and denied entry because a state inspector believed they were “lewd and debauched.” The ship’s captain was ordered to carry the women back to China, despite his explanation that their behavior onboard had been “as good as any other passenger.”
Can states enforce immigration requirements that don’t exist federally? Is it fair to enact a hazy law based on arbitrary accusations of moral character? In 1875, the Supreme Court struck down California’s law by ruling in favor of the 22 women, arguing that states don’t have the right to regulate immigration. The case once again feels relevant, as legal challenges to immigration enforcement make headlines across the country.
Visitors can read more about eye-opening legal breakthroughs starring Chinese American women in a selected “Herstory” display of 12 posters that is currently at Fremont’s library before it moves to Union City in September. On Aug. 23, the Fremont Main Library will also host a reception starring the project’s creator, Dr. Chang C. Chen, whose quest to gather remarkable legal cases began over 10 years ago.
Since 2015, variations of “Herstory” have been shown in dozens of museums, universities and libraries. “Libraries are fitting spaces to share these stories and histories,” explained Jackie Martinez, the equity services coordinator at the Alameda County Library.
Like the lives of many women she spotlights, Chen’s own life is also full of unexpected twists and turns, while being underpinned by her bravery and fierce sense of justice. After moving to America from Taiwan in the 1970s to earn a doctorate in biochemistry, Chen worked for a pharmaceutical conglomerate until she lost a promotion to a male colleague.
Chen recalled confronting her manager. “My boss told me, ‘That guy has three kids to take care of. You can depend on your husband.’”
With the help of a lawyer who drafted a letter to Chen’s company CEO in Switzerland, Chen was eventually promoted. But finding herself sidelined and given no new projects, she eventually decided to apply to law school at Columbia University. The same lawyer who advocated on her behalf for the employment dispute now helped Chen with the law school application essay. “This time, it’s free,” he told her.
During her long career as an attorney, Chen also published dozens of Chinese books on subjects ranging from international investments to fortune-telling to self-help. At one point, she said, she even campaigned and was elected as a member of Taiwan’s legislative body. When asked about her short-lived foray into politics, Chen said, “I cannot lie. I cannot.”
Herstory was Chen’s first book in English, a project that expanded into others, like recording the oral histories of notable women she encountered during research. Several of Chen’s self-published titles are available in the Alameda County library system, including Herstory, Herstory 2, and Lily Lee Chen: the First Chinese American Woman Mayor.
Now in her mid-70s, Chen is working on an Asian American children’s law book. “Nobody writes children’s law books. They think it’s boring,” she said. But the law has amazing relevance and power to shape our everyday lives, and Chen hopes children like her 12-year-old grandson can learn to appreciate the legal impact that Asian Americans have had on the country.
For those who are inspired by Chen’s example, she has some advice: “You’ve got to live for other people. Don’t just live for yourself—you’ll be so bored, and people will be so bored with you. Help other people, and then you’ll find meaning in life.”
‘Herstory’
Fremont Main Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
aclibrary.org
Reception with Dr. Chang C. Chen
Saturday, Aug. 23
10:30am – 12:30pm
Fukaya Room
