In Search of Justice: The 1905-1906 Chinese Anti-American Boycott (Harvard East Asian Monographs)

How could late Qing China, a country bound largely by parochial ties of family, clan, and native place, produce a nationwide mass movement? Was this popular outburst symptomatic of a domestic nationalist awakening, as historians of modern China claim, or a result of pressure from Chinese overseas suffering under harsh U.S. immigration laws, as students of American history contend? In considering these vying explanations for the boycott of American products, Wang identifies a coalition of interests that came together to shape the movement's strategy, objectives, and outcome. He explores the larger structural and organisational resources available to boycott organisers and participants and the role of this common experience in laying the groundwork for later reform and revolutionary movements. "Enraged by the harassment and humiliation of Chinese immigrants in the United States and by increasingly harsh U.S. exclusionary policies, activists in cities and small towns throughout China launched a boycott against American products in May 1905. Was this popular outburst symptomatic of a domestic "nationalist awakening," as historians of modern China have claimed, or was it the result of pressure from the Chinese overseas, suffering under discriminatory U.S. immigration laws, as students of American history have contended? How did a nationwide mass movement arise in late Qing China, still largely bound by parochial ties of family, clan, and native place?". "In Search of Justice considers these opposing views but looks further, situating the boycott within a social movement framework and identifying the broad coalition of interests that shaped its strategy, objectives, and outcome. According to Wang, the boycott was less an expression of nationalism than the product of structural changes during the latter half of the nineteenth century - including expanded market connections, the advent of telegraph services and a daily press, and the emergence of various kinds of trade and native-place associations, literary groups and study societies, women's organizations, and chambers of commerce - all of which provided new ways to engage in more effective joint action. Through this common experience, participants laid the groundwork for future reform and revolution."--BOOK JACKET. How could late Qing China, a country bound largely by parochial ties of family, clan, and native place, produce a nationwide mass movement? Was this popular outburst symptomatic of a domestic'nationalist awakening,'as historians of modern China claim, or a result of pressure from Chinese overseas suffering under harsh U.S. immigration laws, as students of American history contend? In considering these vying explanations for the boycott of American products, Wang identifies a coalition of interests that came together to shape the movement's strategy, objectives, and outcome. He explores the larger structural and organizational resources available to boycott organizers and participants and the role of this common experience in laying the groundwork for later reform and revolutionary movements. In Search of Justice The 1905-1906 Chinese Anti-American Boycott Acknowledgments Contents List of Figures and Tables Introduction I. Chinese Emigration and United States Exclusion 2. Emigration in Late Qing Political Discourse 3· Mass Action before the Boycott 4· The Merchants and the Origins of the Anti-American Boycott 5· The Initial Stage: Defining the Boycott's Strategy and Constituency 6. Might v. Right: The Ideology of the Anti-American Boycott 7. The Second Stage: The Masses-Take Action 8. Suppression and Transformation Conclusion Reference Materials Notes Bibliography Index Harvard East Asian Monographs 1. Chinese Emigration And United States Exclusion -- 2. Emigration In Late Qing Political Discourse -- 3. Mass Action Before The Boycott -- 4. The Merchants And The Origins Of The Anti-american Boycott -- 5. The Initial Stage: Defining The Boycott's Strategy And Constituency -- 6. Might V. Right: The Ideology Of The Anti-american Boycott -- 7. The Second Stage: The Masses Take Action -- 8. Suppression And Transformation. Guanhua Wang. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [217]-230) And Index.