Here’s How Police Mapped the Seedier Side of San Francisco’s Chinatown

In the 1880s , San Francisco ’s Chinatown was a den of stealer , sinning , and bacchanal — at least accord to the police . To that end , the SFPD fix about creating a comprehensive map of the neighborhood ’s vice . But was this effort genuine public service or was it merely an effort to villainize a apace growing nonage universe ?

agree to historian and map collectorDavid Rumsey , it was far more the latter — a barely hold in attack by the city ’s supervisors to marginalize Formosan immigrants . With the elaborated , colouration - inscribe frailty map depicting the location of every opium den , cathouse , and gambling parlor , “ they were seek to show how depraved the culture was in Chinatown , ” Rumsey toldWired . “ It ’s pretty horrific to read today because it ’s so anti - Asiatic . ”

It ’s understandable though , in historical linguistic context . Anti - Asiatic sentiment ran high during the 1880s , with numerous local ordinances segregate them from bloodless family as well as the federalChinese Exclusion Act of 1882which discontinue Chinese laborer immigration instantaneously until 1943 . Of course , that does n’t make it any less condemnable by today ’s standard . manoeuver over to Rumsey ’s website totake a cheeseparing , zoomable tone . [ WiredviaSFist ]

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