▁more ▁white ▁women , ▁who ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁symbols ▁of ▁pur ity ▁and ▁mor ality ▁in ▁the ▁typical ▁Victor ian ▁view , ▁often ▁changed ▁the ▁" accept ed " ▁mor ality ▁and ▁m ores . ▁In ▁some ▁communities ▁with ▁large ▁populations ▁of ▁non - white ▁imm igr ants , ▁some ▁non - white ▁male ▁groups ▁were ▁assigned ▁formerly ▁" f em in ine " ▁roles ▁( e . g ., ▁the ▁Chinese ▁la und ry ▁and ▁cook s ). ▁ ▁Property ▁rights ▁ ▁De leg ates ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁California ▁Constitution al ▁Convention ▁considered ▁and ▁adopted ▁California ' s ▁first ▁constitution . ▁ ▁It ▁provided ▁that ▁" All ▁property , ▁both ▁real ▁and ▁personal , ▁of ▁the ▁wife , ▁owned ▁or ▁claimed ▁by ▁her ▁before ▁marriage , ▁and ▁that ▁acquired ▁afterwards ▁by ▁gift , ▁dev ise , ▁or ▁descent , ▁would ▁remain ▁her ▁separate ▁property ". ▁De leg ates ▁advanced ▁various ▁arguments ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁provision , ▁including ▁that ▁it ▁reflected ▁the ▁existing ▁law ▁of ▁California ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁other ▁states . ▁The ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁proposal ▁was ▁taken ▁nearly ▁word ▁for ▁word ▁from ▁the ▁Texas ▁constitution , ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁civil ▁law ▁tradition ▁there ▁and ▁in ▁other ▁states ▁histor ically ▁under ▁the ▁s way ▁of ▁French - ▁or ▁Spanish - based ▁legal ▁systems . ▁The ▁English - based ▁common ▁law ▁under ▁which ▁many ▁American ▁juris dict ions ▁operated ▁then , ▁women ▁upon ▁marriage ▁had ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁property ▁rights ▁beyond ▁prov isions ▁for ▁one -