Institutionalization of the Chinese Tongs in Chicago's Chinatown

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Chicago’s Chinatown began with the presence of one man, T. C. Moy, in 1870. For Moy, life was good in Chicago. Richard Lindberg, author of Passport’s Guide to Ethnic Chicago: A Complete Guide to the Many Faces and Cultures of Chicago, writes about the experiences in the life of T. C. Moy.

The Chinese slowly came to Chicago due to the legal restrictions that were placed upon them by the federal government. The Chinese in 1890 founded the first Chinatown around the streets of Clark and Van Buren. It was right in the middle of the old Levee district with its brothels and saloons everywhere. In this Chinatown, the residents established laundries, restaurants, herbal shops, fresh markets, and even brought with them two tongs (On Leong and the Hip Sings). These two tongs can actually find their roots in New York’s Chinatown. These are the only two tongs that actually existed in New York and still do today. Since Chicago was placed on the eastern half of the United States, the tongs from New York could use Chicago as a base. This is why you see the similarities between the two tong names in here and New York. Like in other Chinatowns, the tongs had a presence. These two groups ran gambling dens, opium dens, and brothels to service the community. See the Appendix to see a picture Chicago tong men. Also in the Appendix, there is a picture of one buildings founded by the tongs in the original Chinatown around Clark Street. However by 1905, this area became too expensive for the Chinese to live in.

It was during this time that you begin to see the creation of the two tongs because the Chinese immigrants located there. Lindberg reports, “Some of these Tong gangs did much good during the early years providing the community with mutual assistance programs, culture identity, and a small but certainly viable political lobby” (Lindberg: Passport’s Guide to Ethnic Chicago: A Complete Guide to the Many Faces and Cultures of Chicago, 261). However, not all of the tongs was doing well for their community. The On Leong (translates to prosperity and peaceful conduct) and Hip Sings tongs existed only for criminal purposes. They were in charge of the many gambling dens, opium dens, and brothels that existed in Chinatown. Vice was a major player in Chicago’s Chinatown. From 1880 to1924, white males wanted to purchase sexual contacts, whores. This is why the Chinese tongs decided to get into the vice industry in Chicago. They wanted to supply the Chinese and white demand for sex. Ivan Light, author of Ethnic Vice Industry: 1880-1944 writes about the creation of Chinese vice industry in Chicago.