THE PEOPLE V HALL: The California Supreme Court case ruled that the testimony of a Chinese man witnessing a murder by a white man was not allowed, based on the opinion that the Chinese were "a race of people whose nature was inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intelligence, as these backward people felt history had shown; language, opinions, color, and physical differences between whites made them too different" and as such had no right "to swear away the life of a citizen" or participate" with us in administering the affairs of our Government." “…The 14th section of the Act of April 16th, 1850, regulating Criminal Proceedings, provides that "No black or mulatto person, or Indian, shall be allowed to give evidence in favor of, or against a white man."
The true point at which we are anxious to arrive is, the legal signification of the words, "black, mulatto, Indian, and white person, "and whether the Legislature adopted them as generic terms, or intended to limit their application to specific types of the human species. . .” so a murderer went free because the only witness was Asian.
OPINION:
This law tried to make it appear that the Chinese weren’t humans and that they weren’t qualified to be a witness against a murderer which is insane. This law is embarrassing as it attempts to undermine humanity and it’s based on ignorance. It’s an insult that laws like this were written even though it was more primitive in that time.
Re: Post your synopsis below and add links! « Reply #2 on Nov 4, 2003, 6:17pm »
My source: http://www.cetel.org/1854_hall.html The People Vs. Hall 1854- In a California Supreme Court, a Chinese man witnessed a white man killing someone, he testified it in court, but they did not believe him because he was a Chinese man and they thought very negatively of the Chinese. There were laws saying no blacks or indians could testify against a white American citizen, but I guess that goes for Chinese too. This is related to our big question of the year because this shows discrimination and oppression to the Chinese, they were discriminated and oppressed because they were not allowed to testify in court, and they didn't believe the Chinese when they made an accusation that could be true.
Joined: Oct 2003 Gender: Female Posts: 155 Location: Brooklyn, New York
Re: Post your synopsis below and add links! « Reply #3 on Nov 4, 2003, 6:32pm »
The People vs. Hall
The court case The people vs. Hall which happened in 1854 is related to the big question of the year because the case is saying that the defendant has “no right to swear away the life of a citizen.” That because the man Hall, was Chinese he couldn’t be an eye-witness for convicting a white men of being sent to jail for murder. http://www.cetel.org/1854_hall.html
Joined: Oct 2003 Gender: Female Posts: 32 Location: wat???!!
Re: Post your synopsis below and add links! « Reply #4 on Nov 4, 2003, 6:58pm »
The site that i used was: http://academic.udayton.edu/race/03justice/case0001.htm after reading the people vs. hall, i learned that this happend during 1854. It was about a white man who was convicted of a murder, and the only one witness that they had was a chinese person. In laws or acts it had said that Chinese, blacks and other colored people who were not white, were not allowed to testify in court, and give evidence against a white person. This is related to our big question because it shows how the white people were discriminated, since they were not allowed to testify in court. This also related to our big question also because the white person struggled oppression, fight back for Chiense whites, by testifying in court.
1854, california - A chinese men witnessed a white man murdering someone but couldn't tesify against him because he was considered a "color" man. The supreme court wouldn't believe him because they didn't believe that "color" men would actually tell the truth.
Joined: Oct 2003 Gender: Male Posts: 177 Location: New York
Re: Post your synopsis below and add links! « Reply #6 on Nov 6, 2003, 9:57pm »
On 1854 in california a chinese man couln't testify against a white mn even though you witnessed a murder. I think that this isnt fair because everyone should have a equal right to testify even though your race int white
Re: Post your synopsis below and add links! « Reply #7 on Nov 12, 2003, 11:32am »
In the California Supreme Court, all of the Chinese people that witnessed a crime that was commited by a white man, could not testify against themj in court. The main reason why the Chinese man was not believed when they spoke there word was because of their Race, Skin Color, The language they Spoke. Mianly thier Culture. This law is an example of oppression and discrimination. That is why this case is related to the Big Question of the year.
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