Donaldina Cameron House

Chinatown

The Presbyterian Mission House was built in 1908 by the same Julia Morgan who buit the Hearst Castle using salvaged bricks and served as a refuge for Chinese girls trafficked into prostitution or domestic labor. They had to convert to Christianity and stay here, but, since their former owners were waiting for them outside, this was not an entirely unreasonable demand. By late 1930s the number of girls in distress decreased, and the building became a language school. Some rescued women did leave, of course. The most famous of those is Tye Leung Schulze, first Chinese woman ever to vote (May 19, 1912). She served as an interpreter for the Mission and helped Chinese women in courts. Later becoming the first Chinese American to pass the civil service examination she went on to work at Angel Island, where she met her future husband, Charles Schulze.
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