Look Tin Eli
Look Tin Eli | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1870-05-05 Mendocino, California, United States |
| Died | 1919 |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banker |
| Known for | Leadership in San Francisco Chinatown reconstruction; founding Canton Bank of San Francisco; president of China Mail Steamship Company |
Look Tin Eli (1870–1919) (Chinese: 陸潤卿, Lù Rùnqīng; also known as Luk Tin-Sun or Look Tin Sing) was a Chinese-American entrepreneur born in Mendocino, California. He became a notable figure within San Francisco's Chinatown, particularly following the devastation caused by the 1906 earthquake.
Mendocino origins
Look Tin Eli entered the world on May 5, 1870, inside his father’s shop located on Mendocino’s Main Street. He was the eldest child of the Mendocino-based Look family (陸 Lù), led by his immigrant father from Heung-san, Luk Bing-Tai (also called Eli Tia Key), and his mother Su Wang. The family consisted of four siblings.
In 1879, prior to the enactment of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, he was sent to China to immerse himself in language and cultural studies. Upon returning to San Francisco in 1884, he faced initial denial of reentry since he lacked the certificate mandated by the new legislation.
In re Look Tin Sing
He contested this restriction successfully in the U.S. Circuit Court of San Francisco through the landmark case In re Look Tin Sing. This decision affirmed that children born within U.S. territories are entitled to birthright citizenship regardless of their ethnic background. Represented by distinguished lawyers Thomas Riordan and William M. Stewart, Justice Stephen Field’s 1884 ruling established a legal precedent later referenced in the 1898 Supreme Court decision United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
Following his education, Look Tin Eli took over management of his father’s former store together with his brother Lee Eli throughout the 1890s. As a businessman, he undertook two trips to China for commercial purposes, returning in 1891 and again in 1895.
San Francisco professional life
During the 1890s, Look Tin Eli relocated with his wife (surname Jeong), who was born in China, and their child to San Francisco.
In February 1904, together with his younger brother Lee Eli, he played a key role in founding a San Francisco branch of the Russo-Chinese Bank at 417 Montgomery Street—this being the bank’s only branch in the United States. He acted as a "confidential adviser" to the institution, overseeing negotiations and loan arrangements involving Chinese partners both locally and abroad.
Following the destruction wrought by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that demolished Chinatown and destroyed the Russo-Chinese Bank building, Look Tin Eli emerged as "the public face" leading Chinatown’s reconstruction efforts. As general manager of the Sing Chong bazaar, he secured significant financing from associates in Hong Kong and Canton and encouraged merchants to engage Western architects to redesign Chinatown using an "Oriental" architectural style aimed at boosting tourism and fostering social transformation. This vision materialized through iconic pagoda-capped structures at the Sing Chong and Sing Fat bazaars located at Grant Avenue (formerly Dupont Street) and California Street.
In 1907, alongside cannery entrepreneur Lew Hing, Tin Eli co-established the Canton Bank of San Francisco (金山廣東銀行), marking it as the first Chinese-owned banking institution in America. Situated at Kearny and Clay Streets, it served as the primary financial resource supporting Chinatown’s rebuilding efforts during that period. By 1908, this bank catered to more than 100,000 Chinese clients across the United States and Mexico. The largest individual shareholder was Look Poong-San (Lee Eli) from Mendocino, who later became a prosperous banker in China.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that in 1908 Tin Eli successfully convinced the police chief to grant permits for fireworks during Chinese New Year celebrations—a move that garnered backing from white business owners. Chinatown’s reconstruction was finalized in 1908, ahead of much of the rest of San Francisco.
In 1910, acting on behalf of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, he opposed—but without success—the proposed relocation of San Francisco’s immigration station to what is now known as Angel Island.
In October 1914, serving as president of Canton Bank, he hosted an elaborate "red egg feast" commemorating his granddaughter’s one-month milestone. The event attracted numerous dignitaries including a governor from the Federal Reserve Bank.
When the Pacific Mail Steamship Company ceased its Asia service routes, Chinese-American entrepreneurs responded by founding the China Mail Steamship Company (中國郵船公司) in 1915—the first steamship company owned by Chinese interests in the U.S.—with Look Tin Eli elected as its inaugural president.