「Herstory」1916年美國華人女性法律史///此展獻給邱彰律師摯愛的兒子陳澤民 @ 華人歷史家協會部落格

1916

Quok Shee was the longest involuntary resident of Angel Island.

Immigrant Quok Shee was the "alleged wife" of Chew Hoy Quong. When she arrived in San Francisco, she was detained and interrogated for nearly 2 years on Angel Island, mostly because Chinese women were suspected to be prostitutes in that era.

More than an inch thick, her "investigation case file" was opened in September 1916 and was not closed until August 1918. She was repeatedly interrogated, denied access to a lawyer, plagued by depression, subjected to smallpox, and was isolated from a husband who was her only contact in America, yet whom she hardly knew. The file contained 150 pages of legal maneuvering, inquisitorial interrogations, medical evaluations, intrigue court orders—all because one Chinese woman tried to enter the United States.In 1927, her husband Chew told immigration authorities that his wife had complained he was not giving her enough money and had run off with another man.

清朝腐敗，民不聊生，老百姓就算冒著生命危險，也想盡辦法移民美國。天使島是中國移民要進入美國加州的第一道關卡，成千上萬的華人女性在此被拘禁，受盡屈辱。

20歲的郭氏（Quok Shee）於1916年到達舊金山，立刻被帶到天使島詢問。她的先生因為是美國合法居民，很快就被釋放了。但由於郭氏的答案與先生不符，因此被關了將近兩年。最後因為她的律師抗告移民局違反程序正義成功，郭氏終於重獲自由。沒人知道郭氏後來去了哪裡，只知道她丈夫在1927年向移民局報案，說他遭太太遺棄，因為郭氏抱怨他不給錢，所以跟別的男人跑了。