Speech #970258663

It is an interesting fact that the first union label was one placed on cigars to tell the customer that this cigar was made by white men and not by Chinese. That is what the union label means. That is the proud origin of the union label. In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed after much agitation on the part of Californians. including the very influential and thenpowerful Sons and Daughters of the Golden West. The persecution of the Chinese continued into the 20th century. ChineseAmerican friends of mine who are now older professional men in San Francisco remember the days when. if they left the Chinese area. they were beaten up by Irish and other toughs. so they had to stay within the limits of Chinatown.