The Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives’ Brown Bag Lunch Series welcomes Mark Johnson to present about the changing status of Chinese women in Montana from the 1860s to 1950s.

‘A worthy ambition for a Chinese girl’: The Changing Status of Chinese Women, 1860s to 1950s. This talk explores how Chinese cultural traditions and American legal obstacles severely limited the number of Chinese women throughout Montana’s Chinese communities. This made the formation of Chinese American families difficult and made it harder for Chinese communities to take root in Montana than other ethnic groups. Despite these challenges, several extraordinary Chinese women exhibited remarkable perseverance and strength, carving out influential roles within their communities and beyond.

The Brown Bag presentation will begin at 12 o’clock noon on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, and will last about an hour. The presentation will be held in the auditorium at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives located at 17 W. Quartz Street. Guests are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Coffee and water will be provided.
Brown Bag Lunches are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. Upcoming lectures will focus on topics of local interest. For more information, contact the Archives at (406)782-3280.