The Hidden History of Afong Moy & American Prejudice

Black and white drawing of Afong Moy in Chinese top and pantaloons standing and leaning on one elbow resting on a chinese sofa-style table

When Afong Moy arrived in America, she was a novelty. Newspaper records depicted her as the first Chinese woman to visit America. The only records of her exist in dusty newspaper “morgues.” Reading between the stories, one can assume her time here was not pleasant.

She Came from China

Image of a ship's manifest that reads ""The October 18, 1834, ship manifest for the vessel Washington listed Auphmoy, female, Canton, several lines beneath Mrs. Obear's name; an unnamed Chinese female servant from Canton was recorded as well. National Archives and Records Administration, Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York 1820–97, M237, roll #25, October, 13, 1834–March 25, 1835" The handwriting is somewhat difficult to read, and some sources identify the name as "Auphinoy" instead of "Auphmoy"."
October 18, 1834, ship manifest for the vessel Washington listed Auphmoy, female, Canton,

In Canton City, China (now Guangzhou, China), a trader, or pair of traders*, paid for the 18-year-old woman named Afong Moy (most not her birth name) in early 1834. The plan: to take her to America for a two-year tour that would help sell Chinese goods. They sailed south on the Pearl River, crossed the Pacific to Indonesia, crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the southern tip of Africa, and across the Atlantic Ocean to land in New York City six months later. 

A Novelty

Most likely, the trader created the public stir around her arrival. She was the first recorded Chinese woman to set foot on US soil. He wasted no time putting her to work and exhibiting her in his home. She wore traditional Chinese clothing and sat on a throne-like chair with her tiny feet displayed on a stool in front of her. An artful display of Chinese antiques and goods surrounded her. 

Afong Moy sits "on display" in a chair on a raised section of flooring with Chinese furniture, and draperies around

Visitors paid fifty cents to see her and ask questions about her life in China. She did not speak English, so an interpreter translated. She used chopsticks, sang traditional Chinese songs, and answered questions about her culture and the objects for sale around her. The American public flocked to see her. 

Rampant Racism

Most Americans were not kind to her. They figured her not speaking or understanding the English language meant she was unintelligent. They had no knowledge or understanding of Chinese language, culture, or especially the tradition of binding of a woman’s feet. To them, Afong Moy and the Chinese were less than human. The newspapers gave her made up racist sing-song names. 

The trader disrespected her and violated her privacy by allowing white doctors to examine her bare feet in many of the cities where he put her on display. There is no record that she gave or denied permission for these examinations. Culturally, this would have been terribly shameful for her to endure.

Newspapers reported doctors measured her heel-to-great toe at 4.75 inches (121 mm). 

Touring the Country

After New York City, the exhibit featuring Moy appeared in New Haven, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, Richmond, Norfolk, Charleston, New Orleans, and Boston. U.S. President Andrew Jackson saw her in Washington DC. 

Reportedly, she toured 1,000 miles of America in six months. Some report she appeared in “nearly every city in the Union) and also went to Cuba. Along the way, she learned some English.

The End of her Tour

In 1936, papers reported she returned to New York for a last time before she returned to China. Unfortunately, a fire wiped out the fortunes of her handler. She appeared as an “entertainment” until her handler went bankrupt. Abandoned, she had no money and not enough English to find work. There are few records about her life after that. 

In 1838, the press reported her dire financial situation. There was a movement to raise funds for her boat tickets back to China. The trader who brought her to America denied the reports and the fund-raising apparently did not happen. Moy spent some time in a poorhouse in New Jersey until someone took accepted some money from the state for taking her in. 

More Touring

Black and white drawing of Afong Moy in Chinese top and pantaloons standing and leaning on one elbow resting on a chinese sofa-style table

Beginning in 1847, Moy appeared in more shows. Some sources say she was part of PT Barnum’s shows. A performance in November 1849 listed her name as Afong Moy Nanchoy, which sources speculated could mean she’d married a Cantonese man.

The End of the Story

In April 1850, records show she gave one more exhibition. After that, there are no public or personal records of Moy. 

Moy’s story lives on through a two-person play, “The Chinese Lady,” by Playwright Lloyd Suh. Jamie Ford published her fictional tale of Moy about seven generations of Chinese women called The Many Daughters of Afong May. 

After the treatment she received in America, one cannot blame Afong Moy Nanchov for disappearing. Unfortunately, the disgraceful way Americans treated Chinese immigrants did not stop there. Chinese faced widespread discrimination, violent attacks, low wages, and legal restrictions led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. 

China became a member of the Allied Nations during WWII and the US Congress repealed the exclusion act.

Recognition

On December 17, 2023, US President Joe Biden commemorated the anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. 

…On this anniversary, we remember those whose lives, families, and communities were irreparably harmed. We remember the brave and diverse voices—from Frederick Douglass to Blanche Bruce to Pearl Buck to the American Jewish Committee and so many others—who spoke up in solidarity against that Act and demanded a fairer and more just immigration system. And we recognize that despite the progress we have made, hate never goes away. It only hides. Today, there are those who still demonize immigrants and fan the flames of intolerance. It’s wrong….” President Joe Biden

Did you know this bit of history? If you’re not in the US, how did your country treat Chinese immigrants?


Read about other little known women in history.

*NOTE:

Sources do not agree upon who paid for her or if it was one man or a pair of men. Therefore the singular male pronoun is used in this post.

References

The Library Company of Philadelphia

Women & the American Story

Wikipedia

Image Credits

First image: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons  

Second image: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Featured and third image: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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