Contact us and tell us your legal story as a Chinese American women
Contact us and tell us your legal story as a Chinese American women
HERSTORY
1874
In Chu Lung v. Freeman92 U.S. 275 (1874) , twenty-two Chinese women fought for their dignity.
In Chu Lung v. Freeman, 92 U.S. 275, Chu Lung and 21 other Chinese women who arrived in San Francisco were classifie as "lewd and debauched" and, theefore, must be prostitutes. Upon hearig testimony from a witess that only lewd Chinese women wore clorful bellybands, the judge found all 22 women guilty.
However, the Supreme Court sided with the women. It ruled that Congress, not the states, had the power to regulae immigration. It declared that California law requiring a bond for all ill-defined class of people ovrstepped its boundary and that the women should be rleased.
1874年,22位華人女性從香港坐船到舊金山,移民官認為她們是來賣淫,因此拒絕她們入境。
這些女性找了律師 ,在法庭與美國政府激辯聯邦的權利、州的權利以及婦女的權利。
一位傳教士作證說,淫蕩的中國女性都穿著大 紅大綠的內衣。
法官發現這些女性在衣袖裡果然都穿著花色鮮豔的內衣,因此判定她都是妓女。
22位女性不服, 上訴到聯邦巡迴法院,這次她們贏了。美國政府立刻上訴到最高法院。
1878年3月最高法院的判決出爐,22位女 性勝訴並立即被釋放。
大法官米勒說:移民官不得有任意給人貼標籤及歧視的權力。這是華人女性在美國最高法 院的第一個案例。