Chinese Immigrants Research Paper

368 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Chinese immigration

In California, Chinese immigrants were important to the success of mining towns, the railroad, and major industrial establishments; all while playing a crucial role in major racial discrimination. Chinese immigrants worked for very little. Chinese immigrants were very cheap to hire. These Chinese immigrants were highly used in the railroad business such as the transcontinental railroad and a few on the central pacific railroad. The exact number of how many workers there were is unclear however, historians estimate ten to twelve thousand Chinese immigrants. Three thousand would be laying track and eight thousand would be mining tunnels. The workers' payroll ranged from 24 cents to 31 cents per month depending on how dangerous the work was.

Show More
Related

  • Ronald Kaki's A Different Mirror By Ronald Takaki

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    One particular ethnic group that suffered severe discrimination was the Chinese people. They first came to America for several reasons. One of them was the gold rush in California in 1849, in which they were included in a group of immigrants called the “Forty-Niners” (179). From gold mining, they switched to other jobs with resulted in the rise of anti-Chinese sentiments. People felt that Chinese people were taking the jobs away from them, because Chinese people worked for much smaller salaries that businesses preferred. This mindset gave way to the creation of The Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882, which prohibits more Chinese immigrants from coming to America. In addition, the act states “no State or court of the United States shall admit Chinese to citizenship”. Like the Naturalization Act, the Chinese Exclusion Act was created to hinder Chinese people from becoming citizens so that America could remain homogenously white (186). It also aimed to stop Chinese people from establishing a bigger community in the country in hopes of eliminating the threat of competition to their white counterparts (186). Like African-Americans, Chinese people were considered racially inferior and have struggled to prove that they were worthy to be called true Americans, rather than

    Read More

  • Chinese Sojourn Labor Summary

    1682 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this paper by Scott Alan Carson, Carson writes about Chinese Sojourn Labor. Carson writes how institutional arrangements and labor market forces that interacted in the construction of America’s railroad led to the demand for Chinese Laborers. Carson writes more about these relationships and the work given to the Chinese than writing about the more personal details of the workers. For instance, Carson writes that because of land grants given by the government Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads earned more capital by completing more railway tracks. Carson also writes how the Chinese did the jobs no one else wanted to do, and they did them for lesser wages. Therefore, Carson writes specifically about the work of the Chinese and the factors that caused the hiring of Chinese more so than the personal aspects of the workers.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Michael Omi And Howard Winant's Racial Formation In The United States

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many came for gold and job opportunities, believing that their stay would be temporary but it became permanent. The Chinese were originally welcomed to California being thought of as exclaimed by Leland Stanford, president of Central Pacific Railroad, “quiet, peaceable, industrious, economical-ready and apt to learn all the different kinds of work” (Takaki 181). It did not take long for nativism and white resentment to settle in though. The Chinese, who started as miners, were taxed heavily; and as profits declined, went to work the railroad under dangerous conditions; and then when that was done, work as farm laborers at low wages, open as laundry as it took little capital and little English, to self-employment. Something to note is that the “Chinese laundryman” was an American phenomenon as laundry work was a women’s occupation in China and one of few occupations open to the Chinese (Takaki 185). Chinese immigrants were barred from naturalized citizenship, put under a status of racial inferiority like blacks and Indians as with “Like blacks, Chinese men were viewed as threats to white racial purity” (188). Then in 1882, due to economic contraction and racism Chinese were banned from entering the U.S. through the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Chinese were targets of racial attacks, even with the enactment of the 1870 Civil Rights Act meaning equal protection under federal law thanks to Chinese merchants lobbying Congress. Chinese tradition and culture as well as U.S. condition and laws limited the migration of women. Due to all of this, Chinese found strength in ethnic solidarity as through the Chinese Six Companies, which is considered a racial project. Thanks to the earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco, the Chinese fought the discriminatory laws by claiming citizenship by birth since the fires

    Read More

  • Transcontinental Railroad Research Paper

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Transcontinental Railroad was comprised of nearly eighteen hundred miles of track, much of which was laid by Chinese and Irish immigrants (Immigration 1). Chinese immigrants had settled in California during the Gold Rush but were not allowed to become full citizens (Immigration 1). With the need for labor to work on the railroad, the Chinese were hired, although at a lower rate of pay than Americans and other immigrants (Immigration 1). The Central Pacific Railroad had employed over twelve thousand Chinese workers by 1868. They even set a record, laying ten miles of railroad track in twelve hours (Immigration 1). Over twenty-five thousand Chinese immigrants settled in the United States in 1868 and 1869 and eventually obtained citizenship (Cultural 2). The Union Pacific Railroad employed mainly Irish immigrants, many of whom had served in the Civil War. After the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, many new immigrants settled in the western states and territories. Immigrants who came in through immigration stations, such as Ellis Island, used the Transcontinental Railroad to move to new western towns. The railroad advertised with the hope of attracting European, African, and Russian immigrants to populate small western towns along the

    Read More

  • Chinese Workers In Westward Expansion

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    Farmers lost basically everything and looked elsewhere for employment. In 1860 the earned pay for a Chinese laborer in China was around $3-$5 a month. However, if a Chinese worked on the railroad system in the U.S. the potential earning could range anywhere from $25-$30 a month. With the conditions imposed in their homeland $25 to $30 a month was like gold. Therefore, Chinese immigrants (mostly men) took refuge in the United States in hopes of working in the west temporarily. Some worked in mining and other areas while the majority were attracted to the railroad system.

    Read More

  • Gold Rush 1849 Immigration

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gold Rush 1849 was the reason for such a frenzy. It caused people to migrate to California from near and far too dig for gold from the river. According to the film, The Chinese Exclusion Act Explained: US History Review, “This attracted Chinese entrepreneurs to try to make it rich”. The Chinese was one of the cultures that was one of the cultures that left their home to find a better life for their families. However, after being greeted in the United States, they were discriminated against them since they were feared by the Europeans. Racism towards the Chinese immigrant caused a lot of hardship on them in the Western civilization, enabling them to enter or exit without returning to the States.

    Read More

  • Discrimination Against Chinese Immigrants

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    American objections to Chinese immigration took many forms, and generally stemmed from economic and cultural tensions, as well as ethnic discrimination. Most Chinese laborers who came to the United States did so in order to send money back to China to support their families there. At the same time, they also had to repay loans to the Chinese merchants who paid their passage to America. These financial pressures left them little choice but to work for whatever wages they could.

    Read More

  • Asian American History Essay

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    in large groups on the West Coast between 1850s and 1860s to work in the gold mines and railroads. They encountered a very strong opposition violent as riots and physical attacks forced them out of the gold mines (citation needed). The Central Pacific railroad hired thousands.But after the line was finished in 1869 they were hounded out of many railroad towns in states such as Wyoming and Nevada. “Most wound up in Chinatowns or areas of large cities which the police largely ignored. The Chinese were further alleged to be "coolies" and were said to be not suitable for becoming independent thoughtful voters because of their control by tongs. “The same negative reception hit the Asians who migrated to Mexico and Canada”.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Chinese And Irish

    2138 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Chinese and Irish were drawn to the land of opportunity in order to become successful. They came from different ends of the world to end up at a common destination: California. The Chinese were dreamers when they came to California; they hoped to profit from the Gold Rush. They left a feudal system that restricted many aspects off their lives (Daley 14-15). The Irish had visions of a more stable future, coming to California in search of steady jobs (Potter 621). They left Ireland for America to escape the Great Potato famine.

    Read More

  • Chinese Immigration To Hawaii Research Paper

    156 Words  | 1 Pages

    Five populations that migrated to the Hawaiian Islands are the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Filipinos. The Chinese started to arrive in 1852. They were brought in to labor the plantations. Many Chinese married Hawaiian women, resulting in Hawaiian-Chinese families. Foods that contributed to Hawaii by the Chinese are Rice, Manapua, and Char siu. The Japanese arrived to Hawaii in 1890 to work on the plantations as well. The Japanese made up 40% of the population of the Hawaiian Islands by the 1900’s and eventually the Federal Exclusion Act in 1924 halted any further immigration from Japan due to outgrowths. Foods that were contributed to Hawaii are Mochi, Musubi, and Mitsumame. The Portuguese arrived in 1878 because Hawaii’s plantations

    Read More

  • The Chinese Exclusion Act

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the 1853 recession, many Californians were looking for cheap labor to capitalize on profits. Chinese immigrants came to America for a assortment of reasons, including work in the Pearl River delta region, and the company of sensibly fast trade routes to the United States, and the attraction of gold. As a result of their lower demand for wages, and their inclination to form self-supporting communities without support, Chinese immigrants became the best option of labor for many people.

    Read More

  • Response Paper On 'American Born Chinese'

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    In reading one interview by Francoise Mouly and Mina, and another by Michael Mechanc written about Gene Luen Yang, I have much respect towards him. Mr. Yang talks about his first book “American Born Chinese” and his second book “Boxers and Saints”. He talks about how he came to write his graphic comic novel books all while being a computer science teacher in high school. Which I find surprising! My reaction to what I read in the two interviews is that Mr. Yang’s books hold much insight into situations and how one can learn about oneself. His graphic novels are more than just comics, there’s much to take away from them. I find that his books are emotional while filled with lessons for people of different

    Read More

  • The Undeserved Discrimination and Exclusion of the Chinese Immigrants

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...xperienced harsh discrimination and even legal exclusion from our country. They were blamed for the lack of job opportunities and low pay of jobs and received extremely unfair treatment that labeled them as an inferior race. However, the inter-ethnic tension blinded us from seeing how the immigrants were contributing to our country in positive ways. They not only created economic and social gains for us, but also opened our minds to a whole new way of life and prepared us for the multicultural years to come. With all of the help and modernization that they contributed to our country, the racism and discrimination that the Chinese immigrants received day-in and day-out was not rightly justified or deserved.

    Read More

  • Chinese Immigrants In California

    74 Words  | 1 Pages

    Gold was discovered in California in the late 1840s which brought thousands of immigrants who hoped to become rich to the land. After the gold rush was over, migrants needed stable work. The Chinese in particular predominately worked on the construction of railroads. Over the course of six years, Chinese immigrants played a significant role in the completion of the Transcontinental railroad in the United States.

    Read More

  • Anti Chinese Immigration

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    The immigration continued with subsequent large-scale labor projects, such as the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. During the early stages of the Gold Rush, the Chinese were tolerated. As gold and jobs became increasingly sparse, competition increased in conjunction with an aversion for the Chinese. California citizens pressured the state legislature to exclude all foreign miners, as many believed the Chinese were taking gold that belonged to the US. This led to the Chinese Police Tax Law of April 26, 1862. This law was enacted to protect free white labor against competition with Chinese coolie labor, and to discourage the immigration of the Chinese into the state of California by implementing a monthly tax of $2.50 on Chinese immigrants seeking to do business in California. The signing of this law was the signal that acknowledged and accepted subsequent state-sanctioned racism. The Chinese were segregated in schools, banned from sections of cities, subject to additional taxes and were prohibited from marrying white citizens. In 1854, the Appellate Supreme Court of California ruled that

    Read More

More about Chinese Immigrants Research Paper

Open Document