This guest post was written by Essie Wu from Resilient Panda.

When my husband and I started to learn about Chinese American history, we never expected to find connections to Black American history. One of the most striking has been Frederick Douglass.  This champion of abolition did not retire after the Civil War. On the contrary, he continued to advocate for full equality for Black Americans and women’s suffrage and for allowing Chinese, and in fact all peoples, to come to America, become citizens, and enjoy the same opportunities and rights as anyone. 

The idea that Chinese people should be able to immigrate to the US was a subject of debate in the late 1800s.  Many had come during the 1852 California Gold Rush and more in the 1860s to build the Transcontinental Railroad.  Skills and techniques these Chinese men brought from China helped them build the hardest parts of the railroad, but prejudice against them had some demanding they not be allowed into the US. Douglass took it upon himself to weigh in on this debate, giving his Composite Nation speech in Boston in 1869 and then taking it on a speaking tour around the Northern states over the next few years. The linked article gives an incorrect date.

Douglass’ essential premise is that not only is it right to allow people of all races and religions to come to the United States, but he argues that it is also in our best interest as a nation to do so.  To put it in modern terms, diversity is the “secret sauce” of the United States’ greatness. The speech includes tongue-in-cheek jabs at his (likely) mostly white audience and abounds in rousing rhetorical one-liners such as, “The outspread wings of the American eagle are broad enough to shelter all who are likely to come.” Of course, some of the particularities of the situation in 1869 are different from today, but his words can still provide us with food for thought. This speech is so striking and relevant that it feels important to share some of the highlights and even some extended quotes, as his own words say it best. 

Douglass sets out to consider the question of “whether we are the better or the worse for being composed of different races of men.” Speaking shortly after the Civil War when Reconstruction was trying to rebuild the country into a more just place, he states that the problem with the United States was that we had “hesitated to adopt and may yet refuse to adopt, and carry out, the only principle which can solve that difficulty and give peace, strength, and security to the Republic, and that is the principle of absolute equality.”

He discusses how, up to his day, “the policy of our government has been governed by race pride, rather than by wisdom,” mentioning specifically the treatment of Black and Native Americans. He continues, “Before the relations of these two races are satisfactorily settled… a new race is making its appearance within our borders” – referring to the Chinese.

He says not only will the Chinese come, but they won’t keep to the West Coast as they had done up to that point.  One wonders if he intentionally dares his East Coast audiences to squirm when he declares that the Chinese will “cross the mountains, cross the plains, descend our rivers, penetrate to the heart of the country and fix their homes with us forever.” 

He is unequivocal in his support of not just Chinese immigration but their full incorporation into American society:

“I have said that the Chinese will come, and have given some reasons why we may expect them in very large numbers in no very distant future.  Do you ask, if I favor such immigration, I answer I would.  Would you have them naturalized, and have them invested with all the rights of American citizenship?  I would.  Would you allow them to vote?  I would.”

Douglass was aware of concerns driving anti-immigrant sentiments:

“But are there not reasons against all this?…Is there not such a thing as being more generous than wise?  In the effort to promote civilization may we not corrupt and destroy what we have?  Is it best to take on board more passengers than the ship will carry?”

Douglass enjoins his audience to decide the issue of Chinese immigration according to what is right, not what is practical. He declares that one of the “external, universal, and indestructible” human rights is the right of migration.  “It is this great right that I assert for the Chinese and Japanese and for all other varieties of men equally.”    

Douglass argues that immigration should not only be allowed but actively welcomed, regardless of national origin, because it is both morally right and beneficial to the nation’s best interests. He contends that the United States’ greatest and most unique strength lies in its diversity. The cross-pollination of ideas and practices from different cultures, along with the constant infusion of new perspectives, allows Americans to innovate in extraordinary ways.

He maintains that every culture and people group possesses distinct strengths and valuable qualities, and by excluding any group, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to learn from them. Even if we allow them in but fail to grant them equal footing in society, we will still miss out on the contributions they could make if given the freedom to fully thrive in all areas of culture, commerce, and government.

“The voice of civilization speaks an unmistakable language against the isolation of families, nations, and races, and pleads for composite nationality as essential to her triumphs… that policy is a mad one which would reduce the number of its friends by excluding those who would come, or by alienating those who are already here.”

He emphasizes at length that the fact that the Chinese have other religions should not be a cause of denying them entry.  “We should welcome all men of every shade of religious opinion as among the best means of checking the arrogance and intolerance” that arise when everyone is assumed to believe the same. Douglass did not view our corporate life as a “zero-sum gain,” where if Asians are allowed a piece of the (apple) pie, then there would be less for everyone. Instead, he says the pie will be bigger and better if we let Asians, Latinos, Blacks, whites, women, and all contribute to it. 

Despite Douglass’ best efforts, the United States passed a law to prohibit most immigration from China: the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.  It would not be until 1965 that the United States would do away with racial and national origin quotas in its immigration policy. This is what makes Douglass’ views all the more astounding.  He was 100 years ahead of his time, at least.

Douglass hopes that “ignorance is full of prejudice, but it will disappear with enlightenment,” meaning that knowledge and exposure can overcome bias. Sounds a little like Amber from Heritage Mom, don’t you think? Douglass argues that people “only know themselves by knowing others, and contact is essential to this knowledge.” In Soul School and A Place to Belong, Amber contends that books often serve as a form of first contact for many. This belief also drives my work through Resilient Panda to promote “windows” that give families a view into the lives of others, helping to combat ignorance and prejudice.

If this resonates with you, there’s even more to explore. Our Resilient Panda blog delves deeper into Frederick Douglass’ Composite Nation speech, highlighting more of his powerful words and insights. Let’s keep his legacy alive by sharing his message with the next generation, ensuring his voice continues to advocate for justice and equality.

Essie Wu and her husband Hsin-Fu Wu are passionate about helping the next generation discover Asian American history, so they created Resilient Panda, where they blog and make Asian American history supplements for kids.  Learn more at their Resilient Panda History website and follow them on IG and Facebook.