Around the turn of the century, there was a sizable Chinese population in the Delta. Many had arrived in the late 1800s to replace farm workers who were moving away in search of better jobs and lives. However, in 1882, the United States government passed a law that suspended Chinese immigration for ten years and required all Chinese living in the country to carry certificates of residence. If arrested without these papers, they faced possible jail and deportation. Although contested numerous times, the Supreme Court upheld this legislation. It was into this difficult period that Lum Hop and Ning Sam from Helena stepped.
Lum Hop was well known to the Helena community for running a business named Gee Hop & Company on Natchez Street that consisted of a grocery and restaurant. He claimed to have arrived in Helena from Mississippi, where he had ran a store in Tunica. According to testimony, he would change his name when a business failed. That is why he did not have a certificate. Lum Hop was represented by former confederate general James C. Tappan, who persuaded the government to give his client time to send away for paperwork from Portland, Oregon. Because of publicity, the entire Chinese community of Helena was on hand for this hearing. Ning Sam, who was also arrested on the same charge of not having papers, chose to have his case heard with Lum Hop. If the two men had not received proof of residency by the end of January, they would be placed on trial.
On January 30, 1901, the cases of Lum Hop and Ning Sam were brought before U.S. District Judge Jacob Trieber. Although cases such as these dealing with the Chinese Exclusion Act had taken place many times around the country, this was only the second time in Arkansas. As the case unfolded, it was discovered that Lum Hop had first alerted the authorities about Ning Sam, who also owned a business. After arresting Ning Sam, the sheriff discovered Lum Hop did not have proper papers as well. When this evidence was produced at trial, Judge Trieber found both men guilty of being in this country illegally and ordered them deported. After being allowed time to sell off what goods they owned, a deputy from Little Rock arrived on February 13, 1901 and escorted the two men to San Francisco, where they were placed on board a ship bound for China.
It is not known exactly how many Chinese immigrants were deported after the Exclusion Act went into effect, but the overall Chinese population decreased drastically. In 1943, Chinese immigrants and their American born families were finally allowed to seek citizenship. Although we will never know what happened to Lum Hop and Ning Sam after they were deported, their stories are two examples of the difficulties people will endure in order to live in the United States. The Delta has such a rich history of immigrants, and the Chinese who moved here have played an important role in our history.