Hate those historically accurate Chinese hairstyles

Those shaved head and pigtail hairstyles worn by the Chinese shown in this 1870 movie are historically correct. But the history of that hairstyle goes a long, long, long ways back. The historical theory is that hairstyle evolved and became popular in Paleolithic times among the prehistoric Asian peoples in and around the Siberian region. When prehistoric Asians migrated across the Bering land bridge they brought that hairstyle with them. It stayed popular as the Paleolithic Asians became Native Americans. Witness tribes in the American Northeast and Canada who still wore that hairstyle, such as the Mohawks.

The ancient Chinese did not wear that 'coolie' (derogatory) hairstyle throughout Chinese imperial history. Chinese men in imperial times typically wore their hair long and then tied it up near the top of their heads in a bun, reminiscent of the 20th century American librarian's popular bun hair-do, also worn by older women of the time. The ancient German warriors also employed such a hairstyle hair bun, called the Suebian Knot.

When the Manchurians overthrew the Ming dynasty in 1644 (total control over all of China was not until circa 1664) all Chinese men were required to shave their heads and wear the pigtail, which was supposed to actually be reminiscent of a braided horse's tail. Failure to do so meant death. Over the centuries the Chinese male population had become accustomed to that hairstyle and even defended it.

When Chinese immigrants arrived in America in the 19th century, the white Americans detested and despised that 'coolie' hairstyle and ridiculed it constantly. To Westerners that coolie pigtail hairstyle was unnatural and alien