Race, Law, and “The Chinese Puzzle” in Imperial Britain

In the early twentieth century, Chinese immigration became the focal point for racial panic in Britain. Fears about its moral and economic impact - amplified by press sensationalism and lurid fictional portrayals of London's original 'Chinatown' as a den of vice and iniquity - prompted mass arrests, deportations, and mob violence. Even after the neighborhood was demolished and its inhabitants dispersed, the stereotype of the Chinese criminal mastermind and other 'yellow peril' images remained as permanent aspects of British culture. This painstakingly researched study traces the historical evolution of Chinese communities in Britain during this period, revealing their significance in the development of race as a category in British culture, law, and politics. This book examines the historical evolution of Chinese communities in early twentieth-century Britain and their significance in the development of race as a category in British law, politics, and culture. During this period, fears about the moral and economic impact of Chinese immigration, amplified by press sensationalism and lurid fictional portrayals of London's "Chinatown" as a den of vice and iniquity, prompted mass arrests, deportations, and mob violence. Even after Chinatown was demolished and its inhabitants dispersed, the stereotype of the Chinese criminal mastermind and other "yellow peril" images remained as permanent aspects of British culture Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-14 “Chinese Labour” and the Imperial Dimensions of British Racial Discourse....Pages 15-50 The Dragon and Saint George, 1910–14....Pages 51-88 “Most Insidious Is the Oriental in the West”....Pages 89-121 East (End) Meets West (End)....Pages 123-149 “This Plague Spot of the Metropolis,” 1919–21....Pages 151-183 Epilogue....Pages 185-192 Back Matter....Pages 193-268 This book examines the role that law and the courts played in the dynamics of race and gender relations for Chinese immigrants in London and the British empire.