Immigration, Immigrants, and Visitors (In Progress)

• [1850] A Sacramento newspaper reported the arrival of two apparently Bengali men ("Bengalese") in San Francisco: "they are tall and erect, intensely black, and clad in cleanly white, with huge turbans."
• [1851] A South Asian man's testimony at San Francisco's Superior Court was challenged because of his race. California law barred people with "one-eight part or more of negro blood, blacks and Indians" from being witnesses in cases where white men are parties. After the South Asian man's right to testify was challenged, the judge adjourned the case till the next day. [Daily Alta California, Feb 13, 1851, pg 2]

• [1852] The Merchant's Magazine and Commercial Review published a piece sourced to the Alta California that described South Asian and Muslim people as part of San Francisco's diversity: “In our streets jostles the fair European and the swarthy Kanaka, or the darker Hindoo; the pious Mussulman says his daily prayers as he passes the churches of the Christian…such an omnium gatherum was never before witnessed in the world's history.”  [Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review, May 1, 1852, pg 635]

• [1852] An article on Chinese immigrants in California also references the existence of Hindoos [Maine Farmer, 1/1/1852, pg. 3, "Chinese in California"]
• [1857] In March 1857, Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine published the earliest (?) image of a South Asian in California, a portrait of a "Hindoo" gold miner getting ready to return from San Francisco to India with his savings after 3 years working in the mines. This means that there were a South Asian gold miner in California as far back as 1854.
• [1879] The San Francisco Police Department barred two South Asian sailors from cremating "a dead comrade" who had died of natural causes. The police suggested they bury their friend, and threatened to send them to San Quentin if they performed a cremation. [SF Chronicle, Jan 6, 1879, pg 3, "Wanted to Cremate Him"]
• [1892] A San Francisco newspaper comments wonders at the ability of a South Asian (presumably Sikh) man to tie a turban. [SF Call, Oct 18 1892, p1, "Rolling A Turban"]
• [1893] A 68-year old South Asian man was part of the small "leper colony" at the 26th Street Hospital in San Francisco. There was public discussion of moving the people with leprosy to a facility in Hawaii.
• [1893] Prince Hamid Ali Khan of Rampur visits San Francisco. The visit by the ~18 year old ruler and his munshi to a boxing match between a human and a kangaroo is covered with (respectful) glee by the paper. [SF Call, June 11 1893, "That 'Ere Nawab"]
• [1894] Purushotam Rao Telang, a Brahmin from Bombay, visits San Francisco for the California Midwinter International Exposition, planning to be in the area for roughly half a year. His views on music were widely covered in the press — see the arts/literature page for details. [SF Call, Jan 21 1894, p8, "Universal Music"]
• [1896] Four South Asians who came to attend the 1893 Chicago World Fair were to be deported via San Francisco. They were two women and two men, possibly a father and son) and may have stayed on in Chicago after the 1893 World Fair. A Los Angeles newspaper indicates that they were being sent to San Francisco to catch a ship back to Calcutta via Hong Kong, apparently at government expense.
• [1906] Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the maharaja of Baroda, and his wife visited Oakland and San Francisco during a U.S. trip. [SF Chronicle, June 8 1906, p23, "East Indian Ruler Here"]
• [1907] In Oakland, Veer Singh was denied the right to citizenship because he wore a turban, while Dakam Chand and Fukur Chand removed their turbans and were given the oath. Subsequently, San Francisco immigration commissioner Hart North subsequently instructed the Alameda County Clerk that Indians were not allowed citizenship under any circumstance, in light of new immigration law. [SF Chronicle, Jan 23, 1907, "Prefers Turban to CItizenship"]
• [1908] It's debatable how much much protection South Asian immigrants derived from being part of the British empire, but an article in the San Francisco Call gives an example where "Hindu is Protected as British Subject: Oriental is Allowed to Land, While Chinese Woman Servant Must Return." Another article describes how the British Consul Makes Protest — Calls upon Governor to Protect the Hindoos in Sutter County" after a raid on South Asians in Live Oak, Sutter County. [SF Chronicle, 1/31/1908, pg. 3, "British Consul Makes Protest"]
• [1910] Restrictions on immigration and anti-immigrant sentiment were showing up in the press, e.g. a San Francisco Call article, "59 Undesirable Asiatics Arrive," which describes the immigration of 59 Sikh and Muslim men (one of whom is pictured), as well as the deportation of 75 South Asians, some of them on charges of polygamy. [SF Call, Aug 14 1910, p46, "59 Undesirable Asiatics Arrive"]
• [1910] Immigrants were turned away because they reportedly had hookworm, with the San Francisco Chronicle gleefully reporting that "Law is Sufficient to Stop the Influx"; the article quotes immigration inspector Ainsworth, who reported that the rate of "Hindoo" immigration was about 6000 per year, and that despite public agitation, no way had been discovered to slow down the influx. Hookworm might be more effective than grounds like keeping out the poor (i.e. "those who were likely to be public charges") or claiming that Muslim immigrants were liable to practice polygamy. [SF Chronicle, 9/29/1910, pg. 2]
• [1910] Oakland St. Mary's College student paper writes editorial against South Asian workers [SF Call, Feb 19 1910, p14, "Writes an argument against the Hindus"]
• [1911] Eighteen "Hindoos," including five women (two of them pregnant) and several children arrived at Angel Island. Nine of them were "found to be afflicted with contagious diseases," and the whole group was ordered to be deported. The group contested the deportation order.
• [1913] Missionary Dalta Kumar (sp?) becomes reportedly the second South Asian to gain U.S. citizenship, in San Francisco, after a federal judge in Washington decides that "Aryan"/"Caucasian" Hindus are eligible. [SF Call, May 25 1913, p21, "Second Hindu Becomes Citizen of United States"; SF Call, May 24 1913, p18, "Naturalization Is Extended to Hindu"]
• [1928] Vaishno Das and Kala Bagai bought a home in Berkeley and tried to move in, their neighbors locked the house to prevent them from entering.Kala was afraid that neighbors might hurt their children, so they were forced to return to San Francisco with all their belongings. [AIISF, “"Bridges Burnt Behind”: The Story of Vaishno Das Bagai"]
• [1967-1972] Immigrant South Asian men were advertising for love and sex in the personals pages of the Berkeley Barb. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5