The Chinese sex worker who built an empire in America’s Old West
Ah Toy rose from new immigrant to madam running a chain of successful brothels, fighting racism, sexism and the authorities on the way
When you think of those who lived on the American frontier, the sort of person who springs to mind is probably a rough-and-rowdy Caucasian cowboy with a scruffy face and spurs on his boots. But then there was Ah Toy – pronounced “Ah Choi” in Cantonese – who became one of the best-known Asian women in 19th century California.
At a time when the courts did not favour women, let alone women of colour, Ah Toy was reportedly intelligent and resourceful, and she often used the law to protect her business and personal autonomy.
Born in 1829 in China’s Guangdong province, Ah Toy sailed from Hong Kong to California in 1849. There are various accounts of how she emigrated: some say she was alone; others claim she travelled with her husband, who died during the long journey, and she became the mistress of the ship’s captain.
This was a time when “women were scarce in the American West, and prostitution was widespread”, according to social historian Judy Yung in her 1998 book, Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: the Qing Period, 1644-1911.