The Fortunes

The first story is set during the first wave of emigration from China. Chinese men began immigrating to the United States to work in the California gold rush of the 1850s and on the construction of the first railway systems beginning during the 1860s. These early groups of immigrants were almost entirely male and established communities on the West Coast, primarily in California. Although Chinese workers were instrumental in the construction of the first railroads, these Chinese workers were heavily exploited and were the targets of constant racist abuse. Because they were often paid less than their white counterparts, they were seen as a threat by white workers worried about losing their jobs to immigrants. Opposition to Chinese immigration became so widespread that in 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred further emigration from China for the next 10 years. The act was extended multiple times in the form of new legislation and the restrictions were not eased until the passage of the Magnuson Act in 1943.

Anna May Wong, born Wong Liu Tsong in 1905, became the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood. She began her career during the silent film era and eventually reached international stardom.