Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources This investigation will examine the research question: “To what extent did the Chinese Exclusion Acts and the Geary Act impact the conceptions of society on Chinese immigrants?”. The Chinese Exclusion Act and the continuation of it (Geary Acts), caused Chinese immigrants to have their reputations tarnished and led to the demise of societal views of Chinese immigrants in the United States.
A document from Congress and signed by President Chester A. Arthur, that outlines the Chinese Exclusion Act, “Chinese Exclusion Acts (1882)”. The origin of the source is the National Archives, a database that preserves government documents. The purpose of the source is to allow the public to view historical
…show more content…
The government is involved in the Chinese Exclusion Acts so it makes their perspective pose a potential bias, the government can be defending and hiding things within the source to save its reputation. The limitations of the purpose of the source arise through the possibility of the government using the source to clear its name and show how the Chinese Exclusion Acts were resolved which makes the sole motive for publishing the document, saving the reputation of the government after the acts. The limitations of content are emphasized when looking into how it impacted people because the acts simply do not highlight the reality of the Chinese Exclusion Acts which could pose a limitation to understanding the events that occurred because the documents only provide the context of …show more content…
Chinatown is seen as a place of sanctuary and was positive for the Chinese immigrants. (Library of Congress). Furthermore, the spread of the resolutions brought more people to become exposed to the Geary acts and made the population aware of the issues with the Chinese immigrants. This was seen as a new perspective as they wanted to abolish the Geary Acts. After the resolutions were not passed, more people voiced their opinions. For instance, Rev. Dr. Madge opposed the acts and argued against people like Rev. Dr. Bradford who argued that people in the churches were against the Geary Act (Los Angeles Times,
Chapter six examines the anti-Chinese sentiment with the emerging class antagonism and turmoil between white capitalists and workers. The unwelcomed arrival of Chinese immigrants brought along their own social organizations such as the huiguan, fongs, and tongs. These types of social organizations secured areas of employment and housing for Chinese immigrants in California. This social structure that was unknown to Anglos led them to also categorize Chinese on the same level as Indians by depicting them as lustful heathens whom were out to taint innocent white women. These images were also perpetuated onto Chinese women, thus, also sexualizing them as all prostitutes.
Closing Gate to Chinese The United States is the ideal land for immigrants who seek opportunities and American Dreams regardless of their ethnicity, however, the Chinese ended up with America closing the gate to immigration and exclusion. This book Closing the Gate: Race, Politics, and the Chinese Exclusion Act written by Andrew Gyory answers a query about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, in particular, why did the US government pass this bill? According to the author Andrew Gyory, modern historians who have examined the issue fail to offer a comprehensive explanation for this case.
In1924animmigrationactwasimplementedto totally restrict the Asians from entering the United States of America. During the Second World War over 120000 Asian Americans were imprisoned on grounds that they were enemy aliens. 65% of the imprisoned victims were American born citizens. This book therefore talks about the Asian American experiences and difficulties they faced living in a society that was driven by racial prejudice. The fact that the American government was able to cover up the crime against the Chinese miners despite their efforts to
During the mid 19th century and the early 20th century ethnic and racial groups such as Chinese and African Americans suffered through the indignities and laws opposed by white settlers/citizens of America. African Americans given the right of freedom and citizenship during 1865 and 1868, were still being looked down with hatred and anger by whites of the south, and being tolerated by the white people of the North. The immigration wave of the Chinese to the west during the Gold Rush and the building of the railroad only brought fear to the citizens that Chinese population would increase, ending in white citizens looking for ways to diminish Chinese immigration and progression. Even with the lack of physical and political protection towards
Many Canadian citizens feel that their government betrayed the Chinese immigrants after the completion of the Trans-Canada railway in the late 19th century. However, Christopher Anderson argues in his article “The Senate and the fight against the 1885 Chinese Immigration Act” that the Canadian senate has never given up on the fight for the preservation of rights deserved by Chinese immigrants. In his article, Anderson depicts statistical data and explains legislatures imposed on the Chinese immigrants to strengthen his argument, and then he attempts to gain the reader’s support through employing a series of ethical and emotional strategies. Anderson begins his article by depicting a “full apology” made by the Canadian Prime Minister in hopes of seeking forgiveness for the restrictions imposed on Chinese immigrants.1 By employing this potent ethos statement, Anderson has already attempted to convince his readers about certain mistakes made by
How did the Chinese Immigration Act affect young Chinese Canadian men, particularly during the 1920s and 1930s? The Chinese Immigration Act affected young Chinese Canadian men largely during this time period. In the beginning of the 20th century, the Chinese head tax that came with the Chinese Immigration Act in 1885, doubled from $50 to $100, which then increased once again to $500. This made it nearly impossible for new Chinese immigrants, especially young immigrants from another country, to bring more than one person along with them to Canada.
Throughout the informative paper “Public Health and The Mapping of Chinatown,” author Nayan Shah is able to convey the struggles that Chinese immigrants faced while living in San Franciso’s Chinatown and the impact it had on society as a whole. Shah begins by explaining that as soon as there were enough Chinese immigrants to develop Chinatown, there was an immediate concern and many sought out an investigation to prove the Chinese lived in filth. News intel, like the Daily Alta California, frequently reported on the national cholera epidemic and associated the blame with the Chinese, warning others of the danger they possess in spreading diseases. At the time, members of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association worked hard to create
Eventually, the United States repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act by President Roosevelt signing the Magnuson Bill in 1943. [1] Though the repeal of the Act ended white American worker and legislator's discrimination of the Chinese it proves that the U.S. was wrong to implement the exclusion. That is because it did not work. In fact, it had a positive impact on the Chinese communities with unity, support, workmen ship, courage, and pride. They became strong-willed and overcame the obstacles of the exclusion law with the paper system and the formation of China town networks.
The short-term impact within 10 years after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed which led to the Geary Act being passed in 1892. “The law requires all Chinese residents of the United States to carry a resident permit, a sort of internal passport. Failure to carry the permit at all times was punishable by deportation or a year of hard labor.”(DBPedia) And in return within 10 years, the economy had visibly changed after the act was passed because it had affected the Chinese laborers that contributed to the expansion of the railroad industry and led to more discrimination against the Chinese population after the act had passed excluding Chinese people from America even after 10 years. “Republican President Rutherford B. Hayes vetoed the
The Chinese in Canada In his book “The Chinese in Canada,” Peter Li gives an account of how the Chinese faced discrimination in virtually all the sectors of the society. Due to differences in race and culture as well as the fear of the Canadians regarding racial minority, the Chinese had to suffer from formal institutionalization in terms of retraction of citizenship rights, omission from immigration and restrictions in various occupations due to competition. The discrimination against the Chinese was not only systematic, but also legal and rationalized by white superiority over non-whites. Individual racism is different from institutional racism as it involves social institutions, which disqualify the individuals from equal participation on
The horrific murder of Vincent Chin suggests that people are ignorant to the fact that numerous ethnic groups exist within the same “race.” They view all Asian Americans as the same race despite there being different ethnic groups, such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. As a result, anti-Japanese sentiment meant discrimination towards all Asian Americans in general because to Whites, they all “looked the same.” Chin was in a club celebrating his upcoming wedding before he was savagely attacked by two white men who accused him of “stealing” their jobs. At this time, due the influx of Japanese immigrants as a result of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, many Whites lost their jobs, especially in the automobile industry.
One of this week’s readings focused on Ch. 5, “Caged Birds,” in Professor Lytle Hernandez’s book City of Inmates: Conquest, Rebellion, and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles, 1771-1965, and this chapter was particularly interesting because it further explained the development of immigration control in the United States. As a continuation from the last chapter, there was a huge emphasis in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Geary Act of 1892. This essentially prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States, as well as eventually requiring these people to comply with regulations. “Caged Birds” encapsulates the events afterwards, as the book heads well into the early-1900’s. The disenfranchisement of immigrants develops towards further exclusivity because “[by] 1917, Congress had banned all Asian immigration to the Unites States and also categorically prohibited all prostitutes, convicts, anarchists, epileptics, ‘lunatics,’ ‘
This act also explicitly denied naturalization rights for Chinese in the United States- making them [aliens ineligible for citizenship]” (Asian Americans, Pg. 62).
There are so many other reasons and because of this conflict, but one that was sad for children caused much hurt in their little hearts. Many Chinese immigrants were children and when they first came to America they felt alone and scared, they left their only home they ever knew behind them for a better life for their family. Many Chinese family moved into neighborhoods where mostly white people lived, many didn 't know what to think of the chinese at first. But soon many chinese children went and tried new things, many soon started to befriend american children. Both kinds of children had no clue that it wasn 't right to be friends with the other but they soon both payed a heavy price.
Thesis: The Chinese Exclusion Act. A document that was first signed in 1882 by President Chester A. Arthur. This was and still is important because it was the first law that restricted immigration into the United States. This document was signed because Congress was concerned about keeping white “racial purity,” even though the Chinese population consisted of only 0.002 (two thousandths) percent of the whole population.