Episodes

  • “Is it a disgrace to be born a Chinese?” (Chinese Immigration, Part 3)

    “Is it a disgrace to be born a Chinese?” (Chinese Immigration, Part 3)
    Apr 21 2022
    Among the many young girls who arrived in San Francisco in 1868, was one 11-year-old from Shanghai. After five months in Chinatown, she was taken in by Ladies’ Protection and Relief Society on Franklin Street, where she was given the name Mary. The following year, Chew Diep arrived from Taishan. In 1875, he met Mary while he delivered milk for the Sterling family. They married on November 16, and before long, Chew Diep changed his name to Joe Tape. By Mary’s own account, the family lived, “the same as other Caucasians, except in features.” The Tapes lived in the Black Point neighborhood, now called Cow Hollow, which was predominantly white.  But neither the Tapes’ affluence nor assimilation could protect them from discrimination.
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    32 mins
  • “I thought I was his wife.” (Chinese Immigration, Part 2)

    “I thought I was his wife.” (Chinese Immigration, Part 2)
    Mar 21 2022
    While Chinese men flocked to "Gold Mountain," many families in the "Celestial Empire" struggled for survival, and girls were the least valuable members.   Sometimes they were sold away, and ended up in the United States as prostitutes. But they found refuge in organizations like the Women’s Occidental Board of Missions, led by Donaldina Cameron. Eventually, Chinese men were able to bring their wives, and San Francisco's Chinatown became a community of families. The demands of home life kept working-class wives very busy. But middle-class Chinese women formed societies that gave them the opportunity to not only socialize, but develop leadership skills, and advocate for issues that were important to them, including suffrage.
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    46 mins
  • “The Chinese were in a pitiable condition …” (Chinese Immigration, Part 1)

    “The Chinese were in a pitiable condition …” (Chinese Immigration, Part 1)
    Oct 2 2021
    The story of large-scale Chinese immigration to the United States begins in the 1850s. Most came from Guangdong Province, wracked for decades by civil and economic unrest. Gam Saan, or “Gold Mountain,” held the promise of wealth that could enrich an entire village. When the Gold Rush subsided, Chinese men found work on the Transcontinental Railroad. They would build 90% of the Central Pacific Railroad, laying track in record time. However, while the Chinese were initially heralded for their industry and efficiency, they would become targets of harassment and violence. In 1882, when Chinese immigrants were 0.21% of the population, Congress passed the Exclusion Act. From 1910 to 1940, the Angel Island Immigration Station played an important role in the enforcement of the law. Poems inscribed into the barracks walls give us a glimpse into life for those waiting to learn their fates.
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    48 mins
  • “We were all of us children of polygamous parents.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 13)

    “We were all of us children of polygamous parents.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 13)
    Sep 3 2021
    In this final episode, Elinore gets an education in the Mormon practice of polygamy in the early 1900s. She also recounts her successes growing and raising food on her homestead. She definitely paints a rosy picture, rosier than the one we saw during the Women Homesteader's episode. Was that Elinore having a positive attitude, applying a positive spin, or something else? Maybe we can just say, Elinore being Elinore.
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    30 mins
  • “Your pork and beans must be out of a can.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 12)

    “Your pork and beans must be out of a can.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 12)
    Jul 29 2021
    In today’s letter, Elinore sets out to hire some help, and ends up being a big help herself. She also educates Mrs. Coney about the proper cookware for a camp-fire breakfast.
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    31 mins
  • “…She gave him a dose of morphine and whiskey.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 11)

    “…She gave him a dose of morphine and whiskey.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 11)
    Jul 8 2021
    I had forgotten that Elinore was born and raised in the antebellum South, but she reminded me with her Christmas letter and racist party “game.” As I was trying to figure out a way out of recording it, I remembered why the American Revolution became more interesting to me. It was because I learned more about the Founding Fathers in their full humanity, and not as demigods in bronze and marble. You’ll be glad to know that there are no demigods in this episode. Only fallible human beings. 🙂
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    40 mins
  • “The old sorrow is not so keen now.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 10)

    “The old sorrow is not so keen now.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 10)
    Jun 25 2021
    Elinore shares some of the personal joys and sorrows that she has experienced since moving to Wyoming.
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    18 mins
  • “They told us the Indian ways were bad.” (US Indian Policy: Violence, Displacement, and Assimilation)

    “They told us the Indian ways were bad.” (US Indian Policy: Violence, Displacement, and Assimilation)
    Jun 9 2021
    For decades, before they were forced onto reservations, Native Americans had friendly and even intimate contact with non-natives. But as settlements increased, so did the violence, and death. Eventually, the US government calculated that it was cheaper to kill the Indian way of life than to kill Indians.
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    59 mins