Social History for Every Classroom

Search

Social History for Every Classroom

menuAmerican Social History Project  ·    Center for Media and Learning

A Montana Miner's Union Boycotts Asian-Owned Businesses

In the 19th century, Asian Americans faced widespread hostility. In this 1898 flyer, the labor movement claimed that Asian-American workers "[lowered] standards of living and of morals." Particularly in the West, union organizers agitated for the exclusion of Chinese and Japanese workers, who provided a source of cheap labor in the fields of mining, railroad construction, and agriculture. Groups like the Silver Bow Trade and Labor Assembly and Butte (Montana) Miners' Union organized boycotts against Asian-American businesses, and frequently resorted to racist rhetoric.

Source | "Flyers distributed by the Silver Bow Trades and Labor Assembly and Butte Miners' Union in support of Chinese and Japanese boycott, ca. 08/1898," National Archives, Teaching With Documents: Affidavit and Flyers from the Chinese Boycott Case, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/chinese-boycott/
Creator | Silver Bow Trades and Labor Assembly and Butte Miners' Union
Item Type | Pamphlet/Petition
Cite This document | Silver Bow Trades and Labor Assembly and Butte Miners' Union, “A Montana Miner's Union Boycotts Asian-Owned Businesses,” SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed March 19, 2024, https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1153.

Print and Share