Violence
Historical Context of Violence
According to the Merriam Wester dictionary, violence is defined by "the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy." In the context of Chinatown, violence was very racially charged and Asian-targeted crimes saw an increase in the 1850/1860s. The rise in this hatred was also mimicked in the newspapers as the Los Angeles News and Los Angeles Star published pieces calling Chinese immigration "inferior and immoral" (LAPL). The greatest expression of violence seen in Chinatown was the Los Angeles Chinese Massacre of 1871.At the time, Los Angeles was a city of about 6,000 people. There were about 172 Chinese people living in Los Angeles in 1870. Of that population, more than half lived on Calle de los Negros, an unpaved street with brothels, gambling instutions, and saloons. Naturally, with a higher concentration of dangerous activity taking place in a certain region, there is likely to be more violence as well (LAPL).