▁h alls , ▁dance ▁h alls ▁and / or ▁bro th els ▁were ▁l abeled ▁’ ’ ent ertain ers ’ ’ . ▁Typ ically ▁these ▁entertain ers ▁had ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁money ▁for ▁passage ▁but ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁they ▁showed ▁up ▁they ▁were ▁h ired ▁by ▁various , ▁sal o ons , ▁g amb ling ▁h alls , ▁dance ▁h alls ▁and / or ▁bro th els ▁who ▁paid ▁for ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁their ▁trip . ▁The ▁women ▁typically ▁rep a id ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁passage ▁by ▁agree ing ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁pay ees ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁to ▁six ▁months . ▁In ▁women - star ved ▁California ▁men ▁paid ▁up ▁to ▁$ 1 6 . 0 0 ▁to ▁$ 2 0 . 0 0 ▁a ▁night ▁for ▁the ▁privile ge ▁of ▁having ▁them ▁sit ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁g aming ▁table ▁with ▁them . ▁ ▁Young ▁Chinese ▁girls ▁were ▁bought ▁in ▁China ▁and ▁sold ▁as ▁Chinese ▁sex ▁workers ▁for ▁Chinese ▁men ▁and ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁sex ▁worker ▁hierarchy . ▁They ▁were ▁always ▁far ▁fewer ▁than ▁the ▁male ▁Chinese ▁population ▁with ▁only ▁seven ▁Chinese ▁sex ▁workers ▁known ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁His pan ic ▁women ▁typically ▁were ▁considered ▁one ▁r ung ▁up ▁in ▁des ira b ility . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁French ▁sex ▁workers ▁got ▁a ▁head ▁start ▁as ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 ▁of ▁them ▁showed ▁up ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁Other ▁French ▁sex ▁workers ▁showed ▁up ▁from ▁French ▁settlement