With this document as my ONLY piece of evidence, I would say the Americans passed the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act because the Chinese were trying to take all the jobs and money. They thought the Americans were fools and were trying to make sure they had no money, even if it meant making their family suffer the consequences. This document made it look as if the Chinese were hateful and greedy.
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. The political status of Chinese immigrants were also heavily impacted as they could not serve as witnesses for one another and required a white man to vouch for their innocence or naturalization. The rising structure of capitalism brought more anti-Chinese sentiment from the white working class basis as they feared that the Chinese would monopolize their privilege of white free labor. The class nature of the anti-Chinese sentiment also generated hostility from white farmers as they also assumed that Chinese immigrants were out to take over their agricultural sector. These racialized class relations during the era of urban manufacturing reflected the racial segregation of labor that fostered white supremacy in California. The status of Chinese women also became affected as many were forced into prostitution to serve their patriarchal family. In order to protect the white working class, racial laws were created and directly targeted towards Chinese immigrants to protect their whiteness. Chapter seven explains the new threat of the arrival of Japanese immigrants in California. During the beginning of the anti-Chinese sentiment and white working-class racism, Japanese immigrants were also under the romanticized belief of
The common reason for Chinese immigration issues in the 1800 's and current Mexican immigration issues are wealth. To be honest, as a Chinese, China is not that developed in the 1800 's, so as today 's Mexican. People always want to get a better life, it 's the reason for immigration. America is the right place for Chinese in 1800 's and current Mexican. "In the 1850 's, Chinese workers migrated to the United States, first to work in the gold mines, but also to take agricultural jobs, and factory work, especially in the garment industry."1 It 's not difficult to see that the job for Chinese is at low level. Chinese in America in the 1800 's were in a very low rank. Chinese workers had to start from the worker like building railroads. That was a tough time for immigrants. Many Chinese died during that time. No Pain No Gain, they chose to have a possible to get a better life. "A number of them became entrepreneurs in their own right."2 Some of immigrants successfully survived and got
Shame and guilt can go hand in hand, as seen in; Flight, The Glass Castle, and The Joy Luck Club. As the three novels progress, many of the characters suffer with inner shame and guilt. While the characters suffer with these things, it somehow seems to shape and change them. Through the characters hardships and struggles, the theme of shame and guilt emerges.
Currently, the population of people with Chinese descent in America reaches to 1.2%, which accounts to an estimated 3.8 million people. This all started with the Gold Rush, which let two completely opposite cultures that had never interacted before encounter their differences. The religious and cultural exchanges between the American and Chinese societies occurred with many difficulties of acceptance and tolerance, resulting in the diverse American society of present day. After differences between the two cultures were overcome, the Gold Rush opened the doors of exploration for many generations of not only Chinese immigrants, but all Asian ethnicities to follow. Many immigrants would later follow in their footsteps to find what America has to offer them. Interviews Chinese immigration helped pave the road for Asian immigration in America. As quoted from Justice Harry A. Blackmun, "One last word: Diversity yields strength. To oppose it is to ignore and violate the American testament and its precious dream." The Gold Rush, an event which lasted only a decade yet so crucial to American history in more ways than one, had an everlasting impact on the society that Americans live in today. Although their ethnic and cultural background may be different from other immigrants in the U.S., the Chinese immigrants helped shape and construct
During the 19th century, America promised land and opportunities for all. Though some groups of individuals left their homes willingly in order to take advantage of what America had to offer, others were forced to flee due to inhabitable conditions in their homelands. Both Chinese and Irish immigrants, however, were often disappointed with their treatment upon arrival in America. The Anglo-Saxons that first inhabited America viewed immigrants as uncivilized and quickly declared their superiority, forcing immigrants to work for them. They created laws that prevented groups from accessing similar privileges as them and racialized these groups based on their cultures and languages. In his book A Different Mirror, Ronald Takaki explains how racial
As a result of European dominance over China after the Opium War, many Chinese immigrated to the United States for a better life. Upon arriving, the Chinese worked in mining and constructing railroads, they faced discrimination from workers in the American economy, and the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed to limit the future of Chinese immigration into the United States. Due to all these obstacles that they encountered, the immigration to the United States for a better life did not go as planned for the Chinese.
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. The Act was first signed in 1882, and carried on for ten more years. These ten years was followed by the Geary Act, which extended the act for another ten years. That means this event ended around the 1920’s. The conflict for Congress, in 1882, was that too many Chinese people were immigrating to America, and this was ruining
Despite the challenges that were faced by the Chinese immigrants, many managed to maintain a culture similar to their own although it was more of a Chinese culture that was influenced by American customs. In areas, such as the Chinatowns, many Chinese customs still live by their inhabitants. This was difficult because the Americans at the time
The emigrants on the trail looked for a new life in America. Some emigrants went looking for religious freedom, others went for land and power. They were not prepared for the dangers and difficulties that the trail presented. The emigrants on the oregon trail faced the most difficulty trying to survive and thrive in the west because of disease, accidents, and weather.
The United States of America was built from the ground up through the labor of immigrants and slaves, yet has a history of discrimination against both. Moreover, resentment towards the latter escalated during the Industrial Revolution because citizens felt that their jobs were being robbed by immigrants. To restrict them, they first created the Chinese Exclusion Act which banned Chinese immigration for ten years, stemming from “economic and cultural tensions, as well as ethnic discrimination” (History State). Many of these foreigners fled their countries due to religious persecution, poverty, and political persecution. Therefore, citizens and foreigners had the same goals: freedom and the ability to support their families. However, many American citizens were too selfish and did not consider the well-being of others. In their minds, it was “them versus us.” Urban cities represent human narrow-mindedness and ruthlessness, which may never change unless drastic measures are
Many miners passed through this community on their way to work the Gold Mines. The miners faced a reality filled with discrimination as the white miners resented their presence. When finding gold did not pan out, many Chinese immigrants moved on to building railroads, but because they were willing to work much cheaper than others they were often treated harshly for taking the jobs of whites who were trying to support their families but were not willing to work for the same pay. Economic difficulties were not the only reason that ethnic Chinese were looked down upon, the creation of ethnic enclaves including the largely populated China Town in San Francisco, created an image of the Chinese that conflicted with the American culture of the time. In these communities they kept much of their culture from China, they didn’t need to speak English and were isolated from other communities. According the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, “…as with most immigrant communities, many Chinese settled in their own neighborhoods, and tales spread of Chinatowns as places where large numbers of Chinese men congregated to visit prostitutes, smoke opium, or gamble.” (Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts) Many people found the purported behavior to be objectionable and harmful to the moral fiber of America. Many of the Chinese immigrants who worked to complete the railroad system ended up in San Francisco. Where the Chinese community was steadily growing. “The formation of an urban Chinese community and the industrial development of the city paralleled each other. In 1860, only 2,719 Chinese resided in San Francisco, representing 7.8 percent of the Chinese population in California. Ten years later, the Chinese population in the city had soared to 12,022, a 343
Annotation: In the 1850s, many Chinese immigrants moved to America because of the gold and jobs opportunities . In 1882, President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act . Which this document stated as that Chinese immigrants would be banned and looking for work for 10 years. I will use this in paper by saying everyone should be treated equal should be able to come to America to work and received a better life. Not everyone is coming to attack us or start another war .
The torment and statements made towards the Chinese were discriminating because of the other ethnic groups, such as German, Irish, and American that treated them unfairly. The words used, the beatings, and the movements to get rid of skillful workers and useful techniques in the society were targeted toward the Chinese. The Chinese were easily discriminated due to the reason that they could be pointed out in a crowd. Jealousy, greed, and hopefulness to send away the Chinese was a frequent thought throughout many ethnic groups. As stated below in the Chinese Exclusion Political Cartoon, 1871, “In this cartoon, we see Columbia, the feminine symbol of the United States, protecting a Chinese man against a gang of Irish and German thugs. At the bottom it says ‘Hands off-Gentlemen! America means fair play for all men.’” The cartoon shows viewers that the Irish and German are holding weapons aimed ready to use against the hated Chinese. These violent ethnic groups blamed the Chinese for stealing crucial jobs and opportunities. When one thing led to another, the Chinese were eventually mocked by a variety of groups and stereotyped as thieves of opportunities. Motivation behind excluding the Chinese from American rights became enforced with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This Exclusion Act prohibited the immigration of Chinese
The resentment of Chinese immigrants reached a highpoint once congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. According to Asian Americans by Pyong Gap Min, he states,