To Save China, To Save Ourselves: The Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance of New York - Paperback

by Renqiu Yu (Author)

Combining archival research in Chinese language sources with oral history interviews, Renqiu Yu examines the Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance (CHLA), an organization that originated in 1933 to help Chinese laundry workers break their isolation in American society. Yu brings to life the men who labored in New York laundries, depicting their meager existence, their struggles against discrimination and exploitation, and their dreams of returning to China. The persistent efforts of the CHLA succeeded in changing the workers' status in American society and improving the image of the Chinese among the American public.

Yu is especially concerned with the political activities of the CHLA, which was founded in reaction to proposed New York City legislation that would have put the Chinese laundries out of business. When the conservative Chinese social organization could not help the launderers, they broke with tradition and created their own organization. Not only did the CHLA defeat the legislative requirements that would have closed them down, but their "people's diplomacy" won American support for China during its war with Japan. The CHLA staged a campaign in the 1930s and 40s which took as its slogan, "To Save China, To Save Ourselves." Focusing on this campaign, Yu also examines the complex relationship between the democratically oriented CHLA and the Chinese American left in the 1930s.

Back Jacket

Combining exhaustive archival research in Chinese language sources and oral history interviews, Renqiu Yu examines the Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance (CHLA), an organization that originated in 1933 to help Chinese laundrymen break their isolation from American society. Yu brings to life the men who labored in New York hand laundries, depicting their meager existence, their struggles against discrimination and exploitation, and their attempts to change the power structure in the Chinese community. The persistent efforts of the CHLA succeeded in changing the laundrymen's status in American society and improving the image of the Chinese among the American public. Yu is especially concerned with the political activities of the CHLA, which was founded in reaction to racist behavior by white competitors and to proposed New York City legislation that would have put the Chinese laundrymen out of business. When the conservative Chinese social organization - the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association - proved ineffectual in helping the laundrymen, they broke with tradition and created their own organization. Not only did the CHLA succeed in reducing the legislative requirements that would have closed down the Chinese hand laundries, but its "people's diplomacy" subsequently took up the cause of providing aid to China during its war with Japan and winning American support for China in that war. The CHLA staged a campaign in the 1930s and 40s that took as its slogan, "To Save China, To Save Ourselves". Focusing on this campaign, Yu also examines the complex relationship between the democratically-oriented CHLA and the Chinese American left in the 1930s.

Author Biography

Renqiu Yu is Associate Professor of History in the Division of Humanities at Purchase College, State University of New York.