From Slave Girls to Salvation

Book excerpt: From its origins as a project to rescue Chinese prostitutes and slave girls from a life of supposed depravity the Chinese Rescue Home became a feature of the moral and racial landscape of Victoria – a place where the Methodist Women’s Missionary Society attempted to reform Chinese and Japanese girls and women, in part by teaching them domestic skills meant to ease their integration into Western society. Between 1886 and 1923, over four hundred Chinese and Japanese women sheltered in the home. Yet, despite the significance of this iconic institution, little has been written on its history. From Slave Girls to Salvation draws on a rich collection of archival materials to uncover the organizational hierarchies, as well as the religious and racial tropes, which permeated the home. In doing so, it expands our understanding of the complex interplay of gender, race, and class in BC during this time period.