The Chinese sex worker who built an empire in America’s Old West
Ah Toy, born in 1829 in Guangdong, China, emigrated to San Francisco in 1849 and became the first recorded Chinese sex worker in the city. She later ran a chain of brothels, using the legal system to protect her business and autonomy against discrimination and harassment from authorities and tongs.
United States · 2026-08-06 · scmp.com
Read the original report at scmp.com · Project Sesha — the live map