Relations between the United States and Qing China were normalized through the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 . Among other terms , the treaty promised the right of free immigration and travel within the United States for Chinese ; business leaders saw China as a plentiful source of cheap labor , and celebrated the treaty 's ratification . But this did not last for long . The mostly male Chinese immigrants came to the United States with the intent of sending money home to support their families ; coupled with the high cost of repaying their loans for travel , they often had to take any work that was available . Fears began to arise among non-Chinese workers that they could be replaced , and resentment towards Chinese immigrants rose . With extensive nationwide unemployment in the wake of the Panic of 1873 , racial tensions in the city boiled over into full blown race riots . The two-day San Francisco riot of 1877 raged through Chinatown in July ; four were killed and in property damage was done to Chinese-owned businesses . In response to the violence , the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association , also known as the Chinese Six Companies , which evolved out of the labor recruiting organizations for different areas of Guangdong , was created to provide the community with a unified voice . The heads of these companies advocated for the Chinese community to the wider business community as a whole and to the city government
San Francisco riot of 1877
San Francisco riot of 1877
Chinatown, San Francisco