From Slave Girls to Salvation

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, the home sheltered over 400 Chinese and Japanese women. Yet, despite the historical significance of this important institution little has been written on its history. Drawing on a rich collection of archival materials, From Slave Girls to Salvation uncovers the organizational hierarchies, as well as the religious and racial tropes, which permeated the home. Shelly D. Ikebuchi uses the concept of domesticity as a tool for examining the history of Chinese and Japanese immigration in BC. In doing so, she expands our understanding of the complex interplay of gender, race, and class in the province during this time period.