Qiuchen Pan

Historical Record of Chinese Americans | Chinese American Figure: Pastor Hu

Reverend Huie Kin, founder of the First Chinese Presbyterian Church in New York City’s Chinatown, was born in 1854 (the fourth under Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty) in Yongning Village, Taishan – the famous hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong, China. His ancestors worked in the agricultural field. As a child, he went to private school, and had the ambition to travel across the ocean to see the new world.

Historical Record of Chinese Americans | Wong Chin Foo, the Pioneer of Chinese American Civil Rights

One hundred and twenty years ago, who founded the first organization to fight for the protection of rights of Chinese Americans? Who traveled across the country giving speeches to advocate for the Chinese to have equal rights in America? Who wrote countless media articles exposing those who slandered the Chinese, and testified in front of Congress in opposition of the Chinese Exclusion Act? And who engaged in open debate against anti-Chinese politicians, and was even willing to duel to the death?

His name was Wong Chin Foo (Wang Qingfu), and he has been referred to as the Martin Luther King Jr. for Chinese Americans. This pioneer advocate for the protection of rights of Chinese Americans fought his entire life for Chinese Americans to be treated equally. He did not undertake this effort alone. In 1892, he founded and went on to lead the Chinese Equal Rights League. He fought unwaveringly against the Chinese Exclusion Act.