I’ve been working on a manuscript of erasure and found poetry, drawn from archival sources documenting the Anti-Chinese Riots of 1880 in Denver, which contributed to the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. I’m putting this together with my creative partner, Kyle Albasi. We’ll be presenting a walking tour performance of this piece at the Denver Fringe Festival.

One critical text we’ve been combing through for primary sources on the riot has been Professor William Wei’s book, “Asians in Colorado,” which provides a good context for Asian immigration in the Western United States during from early 1800s to present day. In particular, the chapters on the Page Act of 1775 (“Ch. 4 - Importing Chinese Prostitutes, Excluding Chinese Wives”) and the Anti-Chinese Riot of 1880 (“Ch. 5 - The Denver Race Riot and Its Aftermath”) provide an important framework for my writing and creative piece.

I’ve reached out to Professor Wei, who is active on the board of Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) and am eager to visit him at the University of Colorado, Boulder, to consult more on my project.

I’ll be writing more on this book and the advocacy work of CAPU soon.

Review

William Wei’s “Asians in Colorado” is a landmark history that unearths the long-overlooked stories of Asian immigrants in the Centennial State, detailing a recurring cycle of persecution and perseverance. Wei’s meticulously researched account focuses primarily on the experiences of Chinese and Japanese Americans, from their arrival in the 19th century through the tumultuous mid-20th century.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its use of personal histories to illustrate broader historical forces. Wei introduces us to figures like Chin Lin Sou, a prominent Chinese community leader who defended his countrymen against rising anti-Asian sentiment, and the Japanese American sugar beet farmers who, despite facing intense prejudice, became essential to the state’s agricultural economy.

Wei provides a harrowing, in-depth examination of the 1880 Denver Race Riot, a violent mob attack on the city’s Chinatown that he argues was a key event leading to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. He also offers a detailed look at the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans at the Amache concentration camp in southeastern Colorado, exploring the bitter irony of a community being imprisoned while its sons and daughters served in the U.S. military.

While the book is a vital contribution to both Asian American and Western history, its title is somewhat broader than its scope. The narrative centers on Chinese and Japanese experiences, with less attention given to the stories of other Asian groups who later settled in Colorado, such as Southeast Asian refugees. Nevertheless, “Asians in Colorado” is essential reading for anyone interested in the complex, often brutal, history of race, labor, and community in the American West. It stands as a powerful testament to the resilience of those who, in Wei’s words, “did not lack true grit” and “refused to be discouraged by setbacks.”