Pell Street, Chinatown, New York

Pell Street, Chinatown, Manhattan, between 1900 and 1910. Published by Detroit Publishing Co. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

During the 1870s, the Chinese in New York City began to concentrate around Mott Street south of Canal Street. Many Chinese men left wives to come to the United States of America, hoping to get rich and return later. As the Chinese quarter started growing the residents, almost exclusively men, began to form various social societies. These societies along with native place and family associations became an important lifeline for the residents of Chinatown.