Merchant and Imperial Diplomat: The Extraordinary Career of Portland's Moy Back Hin

Abstract

Building on previous historical research, Chuimei Ho and Bennet Bronson document the career of Moy Back Hin, an honorary Chinese consul and successful merchant in Portland, Oregon. Using Chinese-language texts and collections at the Oregon Historical Society — including Moy Back Hin's official garments of the Qing Dynasty — Ho and Bronson further document Moy's diplomatic connections to the Chinese imperial government. “From obscurity as a young servant,” the authors attest, “to fame as a businessman, leader and diplomat, Moy…lived an extraordinary life among Chinese Americans.”