Eno, Paul

Chinese Americans in Butte

Chinese immigrants first came to Butte, Montana, in great numbers in the late 1860’s, attracted by work in placer gold mines and later by railroad construction projects. By the late 1880’s, nearly 2,500 Chinese Americans reportedly resided in Butte, and by the early 1900’s, Butte’s Chinatown had become well-established. As the gold mining boom ended and the railroads were completed, Butte’s Chinese were forced out of their jobs by discriminatory laws and ordinances meant to discourage cheap labor. In addition, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States. By the 1890’s, Butte’s Chinese residents were turning to work in the service industry.

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