By Richard Auffrey
Who was the original “Queen of Chinatown”? The answer will likely surprise you, until you consider the circumstances of the time.
For approximately twenty years, until her death in 1906, Bella Long was the undisputed Queen of Chinatown. She was likely the first white woman, married to a Chinese man, who lived in Boston’s Chinatown, having arrived in town around 1880-1882. Her past before she moved to Chinatown was mired in mystery and throughout most of her life she was addicted to opium.
During the late 19th century, few Chinese women traveled to the U.S., partially because their men traveled there, planning to only be there temporarily and return home with money. In addition, racist laws served to make it very difficult for Chinese women to come to the U.S. In 1880, the ratio of Chinese men to women was about 21:1, rising to 27:1 in 1890.
Consider that in 1892, there were about 1000 Chinese men living in Boston, but in 1893, there were only about three Chinese women in Chinatown. Ten years later, there were only about fourteen Chinese women. With such a great disparity, it was inevitable that some Chinese men chose to marry white women, like Bella Long.
Prior to her arrival in Boston, the Boston Sunday Post, March 31, 1901, claimed that she had been a bareback rider in the circus, graduated from medical college in New York, and provided medical care for the Chinese. None of this appears to be true.
More credible background seemed to be offered by the Boston Herald, December 23, 1905, which reported that Bella married a white sailor while in New York, but he was lost at sea. Then, Bella married Yuen Song, who was a jealous man and eventually tried to kill her. He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison, though Bella pled for leniency so he only served 18 months.
In the early 1880s, when Yuen was released from prison, they moved to Boston and lived at 29 Harrison Avenue, a residence that Bella would remain in throughout the rest of her life. As of June 1889, she was the only white woman living in Chinatown.
The Boston Daily Globe, May 13, 1895, noted the police raided Bella’s residence, believing it to be an opium joint. The police found plenty of opium, pipes and other paraphernalia, as well as four Chinese men who had been partaking. Yuen and Bella were arrested, though it appears they only had to pay a small fine to resolve the matter.
Five months later, the Boston Sunday Post, October 27, 1895, noted that Bella was the “undisputed Queen of Chinatown.” This was the first newspaper to refer to Bella as the Queen of Chinatown, and that designation became common after this point.
Around March 1901, after the death of her husband, Bella married another Chinese man, Jim Gong, who was dying of consumption. By 1902, a number of other white women had also married Chinese men and lived in Chinatown, but none dared anger or oppose Bella, the Queen of Chinatown.
Around July 1905, Bella’s husband died of tuberculosis. About a month later, there was speculation that Bella might marry again, this time to “Jim the Guide,” who gave guided tours of Chinatown. However, by December, Bella was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent a little time in a hospital.
The Boston Herald, December 23, 1905, wrote: “She has been the Chinamen’s acute adviser. She was true blue. She could be trusted. To her they turned when danger threatened and they found themselves at a disadvantage because of their inability to speak English fluently.” The article also mentioned how during most of her time in Chinatown, she mainly remained in her apartment, which was described as “dark, dirty, ill-ventilated and choky with the fumes of opium.” Bella claimed to have been smoking opium for about 26 years, having started when she was 17-years old when she visited an opium den in New York City.
Five months later, the Boston Globe, May 15, 1906,reported that Bella had died of consumption. When she had arrived in Chinatown, she was young and pretty, and quickly a big hit. She used to give audiences in her home, often reclining on her couch, smoking opium, though ironically also warning people about the dangers of opium. After Bella’s death, her apartment became a tourist attraction, which cost people 50 cents to visit.
Would there be a successor to the title of Queen of Chinatown? Soon after Bella’s death, the two local tongs, the On Leong and the Hip Sing, each put forth their own candidate for the title, but apparently neither was successful. It wouldn’t be until the 1920s that a new Queen would arise, Irene Wong, and she was also a white woman married to a Chinese man. But that is a story for another time.
For more information on Bella Long, you may read Richard Auffrey’s lengthier articles on the history of China at: https://passionatefoodie.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-first-restaurants-in-bostons.html
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