Chinese diaspora in the West The Chinese Diaspora in the West (1800s to 1949) first began to flourish during the 19th century due to famine and political upheaval, as well as rumors of wealth to be had outside of Southeast Asia. Chinese emigrants to cities such as San Francisco, London, and New York City brought with them the Chinese manner of opium smoking, and the social traditions of the opium den. The Indian Diaspora distributed opium-eaters in the same way, and both social groups survived as "lascars" (seamen) and "coolies" (manual laborers). French sailors provided another major group of opium smokers, having gotten the habit while in French Indochina, where the drug was promoted and monopolized by the colonial government as a source of revenue. Among white Europeans, opium was more frequently consumed as laudanum or in patent medicines. Britain's All-India Opium Act of 1878 formalized ethnic restrictions on the use of opium, limiting recreational opium sales to registered Indian opium-eaters and Chinese opium-smokers only and prohibiting its sale to workers from Burma. Likewise, in San Francisco, Chinese immigrants were permitted to smoke opium, so long as they refrained from doing so in the presence of whites.
chinese diaspora in the west the chinese diaspora in the west (1800s to 1949) first began to flourish during the 19th century due to famine and political upheaval as well as rumors of wealth to be had outside of southeast asia chinese emigrants to cities such as san francisco london and new york city brought with them the chinese manner of opium smoking and the social traditions of the opium den the indian diaspora distributed opium-eaters in the same way and both social groups survived as "lascars" (seamen) and "coolies" (manual laborers) french sailors provided another major group of opium smokers having gotten the habit while in french indochina where the drug was promoted and monopolized by the colonial government as a source of revenue among white europeans opium was more frequently consumed as laudanum or in patent medicines britain's all-india opium act of 1878 formalized ethnic restrictions on the use of opium limiting recreational opium sales to registered indian opium-eaters and chinese opium-smokers only and prohibiting its sale to workers from burma likewise in san francisco chinese immigrants were permitted to smoke opium so long as they refrained from doing so in the presence of whites