Chinese Immigration Dbq

With the establishment of the Burlingame-Seward Treaty in 1868, friendly relations between America and China were initiated and immigration to America was highly encouraged. In spite of the fact that their cheap labor was initially welcomed, they were soon seen as job stealers. Countless were able to make the journey by borrowing money so once they arrived, they had to work to pay off their creditors. Their low pay made them desirable to employers and caused tension with the White laborers. The Anti-Coolie Act of 1862 was eventually passed in hopes of less Chinese being able to pay the special tax so that more of the work could go to White workers. The Chinese coolies in document 3 are all seen wearing traditional hats to protect themselves

Nearly most of the wives stayed behind due to lack of work for women in America and because of the tradition that the men should be the breadwinner. It is possible that having bounded feet also limited their ability to relocate. The men did not marry White women for anti-miscegenation laws made interracial marriage a crime. The Chinese Exclusion Act that was later passed made it impossible for anymore Chinese person to legally immigrate to America. America has decided that it needed to protect the jobs of American citizens so this led to the closing of American borders for the Chinese. In spite of this act, there were still people who found ways to illegally immigrate. They were known as Paper Sons and Daughters who bought counterfeit paperwork claiming that they were the blood-related children of the Chinese already in America. America allowed reunification of close family members during this

In the Rock Springs Massacre of Wyoming, the tensions heightened when more Chinese laborers were hired over Whites due to the pay difference. At least 28 Chinese miners had died from the attacks and the federal troops intervened. They brought the Chinese miners who escaped back to Rock Springs a few days after the massacre only for them to see everything they’ve worked so hard for burned to the ground along with their dead friends splayed across the land. The Chinese miners could be seen trying to run away from the attacks in document 4 as the riot continued behind them. The other massacre was the Hells Canyon Massacre in Oregon where thirty-four Chinese goldminers were murdered by white horse gang members who stole their gold after killing them. It is critical to note that every act of violent hatred mentioned above had witnesses and some even went to trial but no justice nor jail time was ever