The Chinese Community in Augusta, Georgia
Some of the earliest Chinese immigrants to Augusta were drawn to the city during the construction of the Augusta Canal. While the original laborers employed to build the canal in 1845 were white, the managers of the project later turned to African American laborers, both free and enslaved, to continue the work. In 1875, as the canal was being expanded, the city hired over 200 Chinese immigrants for the labor to dig and build parts of the Augusta Canal. This group of canal workers were some of the individuals who would form one of the oldest Chinese communities in the eastern United States. Many of them had traveled first from China to California or New York City to work on railroads in the United States, before coming to Augusta.
While many of these Chinese canal workers left the area after completing the project, at least 10 remained in Augusta, as of the 1880 census, and many of them opened grocery stores. While some of these Chinese laborers' families later joined them from other parts of the United States, the growth of the community was curtailed by a series of immigration policies. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited the immigration of Chinese workers to the United States for 10 years. In 1892, this was followed by the Geary Act, which extended Exclusion Act for an additional 10 years. The only exceptions were for Chinese merchants, students, teachers, and diplomats, provided they had the required documentation.
As a result of these laws, the Chinese community in Augusta was slow to grow. By 1900, the Chinese community numbered 41, with 29 Chinese grocery stores and 8 laundries, but very few of the members of this community were comprised of families, due to the restrictions placed on Chinese-Americans.
In 1927, 59 men from the Augusta community chartered the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Augusta, to help provide services to the community, and foster Chinese culture. This organization is still a presence in Augusta today. It wasn't until the 1940s that the Chinese community in Augusta began to see substantial growth, in part due to the 1943 repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
By 1972, the Chinese community in Augusta included approximately 400 individuals. The Augusta Riots, in 1970, had an impact on the number of grocery businesses in Augusta, though it is difficult to determine to what extent the riots impacted Chinese businesses, as the Chinese businesses had been steadily declining in numbers leading up to 1970, due in part to a movement towards professional positions within the community, and in part due to the proliferation of large grocery store chains.
The Chinese community continues to be an important presence in Augusta today, with regular cultural programming through the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.
This photograph is believed to be of the First Baptist Chinese Sunday School, date unknown. Citation: RL00626, Loose Photograph Collection (LPS 001), Reese Library Special Collections and Institutional Archives, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
Photograph of the Chinese Community Center, date unknown. Citation: RL00625, Loose Photograph Collection (LPS 001), Reese Library Special Collections and Institutional Archives, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.