The Resistance of Ah Sin
A Chinese man accused of illegal entry avoids deportation after his community rallies to testify on his behalf in Seattle court.
The hearing of the case of the Chinese men smuggled from British Columbia was concluded by Justice Vrooman yesterday. Two of the prisoners were held and remanded to the custody of the Inspector of Customs. The third, Ah Sin, was discharged. Although he was identified by the prosecuting witness as positively as the others, his countrymen in Seattle came to his relief and swore he had been in the city for several years. Consequently, Mr. Ah Sin was permitted to depart in peace. It is threatened that habeas corpus proceedings will be brought to compel the release of the two still in custody.
“His countrymen in Seattle came to his relief, and swore that he had been in the city for several years.”
This piece highlights the early, systemic legal resistance organized by Seattle’s Chinese community against the exclusionary laws of the 1880s, an era when they faced extreme xenophobia.
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