If They Don't Bring Their Women Here

''Individual chapters provide excellent examples of this [discriminatory] behavior among the ranks of Hong Kong consuls and San Francisco authorities. Peffer's work joins a number of recent studies ... in enhancing understanding of the historically negative American reaction to Asians.'' - Choice ''The immigration of Chinese women before 1882 ... has received little attention from historians... Peffer's illuminating, well-designed, and compellingly written work ... fills this gap and presents a truly comprehensive explanation of the severe shortage of female immigrants in America... A fine piece that adds to the mosaic of historical studies of Chinese immigration.'' -- Mao-xin Liang, Journal of American History ''Well written and clearly organized. It should be read by everyone who desires an inclusive and accurate reading of the history of immigration in the United States.'' -- Sharon M. Lee, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal ''Until Peffer's pioneering work, most historians have failed to acknowledge the significance of the Page Law of 1875 in restricting Chinese immigration to the United States... Peffer convincingly argues that the Page Law ... helped perpetuate the gender imbalance in the Chinese American population for another century and consequently led to a socially dysfunctional ethnic society...This book will encourage people to reconceptualize the periods of Chinese immigration and reinterpret Chinese American experiences.'' -- Liping Zhu, New Mexico Historical Review ADVANCE PRAISE ''Peffer successfully challenges stereotypes that have been the foundation of Chinese American studies.''-Sue Fawn Chung, author of The Silver Mountain: A History of the Chinese in Nevada