[Fengcheng Historical Association] The earliest document of the Chinese ancestors of Alberta (3)

[Fengcheng Historical Association] The earliest document of the Chinese ancestors of Alberta (3) Phoenix Zhang Zhaohong The earliest statemen…

Phoenix City Zhang Zhaohong

The earliest statements made by Arizona’s Chinese-American found. Judging from the data, Kuang Shengneng, the Chinese ancestor of Phoenix City, was able to obtain a US ID card in 1894 during the anti-Chinese era with certain conditions. 1. He is a Chinese legally residing in the United States. 2. He has a job, works in a British kitchen on North First Street in Phoenix, and may speak some English and read English menus. 3. He has paid taxes and has tax return records. I found out that in the 18th century, Arizona was still a Spanish colony. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in the early 19th century, it became part of Mexico. After Mexico's defeat in the Mexican-American War in 1848, the territory was ceded to the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. But it was not until February 14, 1912, that Arizona officially joined the United States, and Phoenix became the capital of Arizona. There is no information on how Kuang Sheng paid taxes to the U.S. federal government and state governments. 4. The document mentions Kuang Sheng’s “personal, family, and property in the United States.” The specific amount of his property may not be listed in detail to protect his privacy. 5. Kuang Sheng is a hard-working person. Not only can he support himself (or his family), he should also have some savings. In Phoenix, Arizona, three people owed him money. The debtors were two Chinese: Yu Sheng (transliteration) owed $585.00, Cheng Long (transliteration) owed $399.00, and a Westerner, Charlie Bound, owed $360.00. These debit codes added up to $1,344, which was not a small amount at the time. In addition to buying a boat ticket to return to China, I could also "return to my hometown" to visit relatives. 6. Kuang Sheng hoped to leave the United States and return to China and planned to return to the United States. He requested and applied for a certificate of rights to return to the United States in accordance with the corresponding Sino-US treaty, and it was approved. Certificate issued in duplicate by Henry Brachman, Tax Collector of the City of Portland, Oregon, with his photograph attached. Here’s a question: Why was a Certificate of Right to Return to the United States “issued by Henry Brachman, Tax Collector of the City of Portland, Oregon”? Oregon is in the northwest of the United States, far away from Phoenix, Arizona. Although Arizona was already a U.S. territory at that time, it had not yet established a state, or there were no relevant departments to handle such documents. Portland is the largest city in Oregon. I found that for most of the 19th century, Portland was the largest port in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Perhaps because of this, such documents could also be issued by the local tax department. In addition, is there any other purpose for Kuang Sheng to apply for a certificate of right to return to the United States? The three people who owed Kuang Sheng debts were very large based on the income of Chinese workers at that time, and some of them may have owed him wages. Kuang Sheng should have evidence of his debts in his hands, so that he can take this opportunity to return to China to get a "Reentry Permit" and have these debts officially recognized so that the debtors cannot rely on them. Under the law at the time, Chinese who owed debts could not apply to return to China unless they paid off their debts, and Westerners could also recover their owed money through this method. As for whether Kuang Sheng returned to China? Or will you return to Phoenix in the United States after returning to China? Don't know yet. But judging from this "reentry permit" with many wrinkles, it can be seen that it was used many times by Kuang Sheng, or it was collected and preserved by the authorities when he returned to the United States, or it was collected and stored in the Pueblo Grande Museum by descendants. If Kuang Sheng really returned to Phoenix from China and died locally, it is possible to find more clues. I checked the "Pioneer & Military Memorial Park" in the center of Phoenix, Arizona. Among the names of the ancestors in the cemetery, the name of Sing Kewong was not found. We are currently searching through another local earliest and largest "Greenwood Cemetery". If relevant information can be found, we may get information about Kuang Sheng himself and his descendants. Then, Kuang Sheng's document will bring more information to the history of our Chinese ancestors in Phoenix, especially the history of the Kuang family in Phoenix. (Full text ends)

Before the 1880s, Phoenix only had horse-drawn carriage lines. The construction of the railway became the first opportunity for Phoenix City's economic take-off, and Phoenix City also became a commodity distribution center connecting the east and west. In 1893, Phoenix built a streetcar system, replacing the previous horse-drawn carriage lines.