Joe, "John Chinaman" first appeared in The California Songster, 1855, p. 44, San Francisco, Appleton & Co., David E. Appleton. There are variants. (From Songs of the American West, Lingenfelter and Dwyer, 1968, p. 299)

See thread 12708 for "Long John, Chineeman," posted by rich r. John
The chorus of this song, for comparison:
Ching ching chow, chingeeringee roo,
Chingee roo was a Chineeman
He was a barber by birth and a butcher by trade
I tell you he was oil from the can.

In a number of the old songs, the Chinaman is named John. It would be interesting to know when or how this started.

"John Chinaman, My Jo," lyrics in the DT should be credited to both J. W. Connor and J. Watson, not just to Connor. The tune is "My Jo," by John Anderson, published (2nd time?) in "The Songs of Scotland," 1887, C. Mackay, J. Pittman and C. Brown, London, p. 72. Data from Lingenfelter and Dwyer, 1968, p. 301.