What Did Early Chinese Immigrants Get Fed Crossing the Pacific?

The accounts of the month-long journeys of Chinese immigrants sailing from Hong Kong by steamships to North American ports in the late 19th century tell of crowded quarters in steerage, but do not give much detail about what food was provided, or its quality and quantity.  The sketch below of Chinese passengers on the S.S. Alaska of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company shows the austere "dining space" in the steerage deck.

One newspaper article reprinted in the Louisiana Democrat in 1889 revealed one steamship company's description on this topic, although it may not be entirely truthful. A spokesman for the Trans-Pacific steamers described the meals as consisting mostly of rice, a variety of beans, some orange peel as a relish, dried fish, occasional dried abalone as a dessert, and "chow-chows" defined as different sauces.  For a trip of 30 days, the estimated cost to feed one passenger was $1.18. He bragged that "immigrants get as good food on shipboard as they get at home."

revised 11/16/20