Answer:
Few women were in the first wave of Chinese immigrants to America in the mid-nineteenth century. For example, in 1850, there were only 7 Chinese women versus 4018 Chinese men in San Francisco, and in 1855, women constituted only two percent of the total Chinese population in America (Takaki, 1998). These low numbers can be attributed to Chinese cultural values and financial considerations which prevented women from traveling alone. Additionally, most of the Chinese men were afraid to bring their wives and raise families in America because of the racial violence they found themselves subject to. Growing Anti-Chinese sentiment in America and harsh working conditions with few labor opportunities, which mainly used a migratory reserve of Chinese laborers, reduced the opportunities for entry of Chinese women.
