American Epistles

… the story of our country, one letter at a time.

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“Is it a disgrace to be born a Chinese?” (Chinese Immigration, Part 3)

Posted April 20, 202200:32:25

The Tape Family, The...

“I thought I was his wife.” (Chinese Immigration, Part 2)

Posted March 20, 202200:46:13

*This episode discusses child abuse, human trafficking, and prostitution.

A Mui Tsai in San Francisco (image credit: Stanford Special Collections...

“The Chinese were in a pitiable condition …” (Chinese Immigration, Part 1)

Posted October 1, 202100:47:53

The story of large-scale Chinese immigration to the United States begins in the 1850s. Most came from Guangdong Province, wracked for decades by civil...

“We were all of us children of polygamous parents.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 13)

Posted September 2, 202100:30:17

In this final episode, Elinore gets an education in the Mormon practice of polygamy in the early 1900s. She also recounts her successes growing and...

“Your pork and beans must be out of a can.” (Elinore Rupert, Part 12)

Posted July 29, 202100:31:12

In today’s letter, Elinore sets out to hire some help, and ends up being a big help herself. She also educates Mrs. Coney about the proper cookware...