According to Lee, Erika, and Reason (2016), “The Chinese Exclusion Act ...barred Chinese laborers for a period of 10 years and allowed entry only to certain exempt classes (students, teachers, travelers, merchants, and diplomats” (p. 4). The Chinese immigrants were excluded from certain rules and laws like Blacks and other minority groups. Also, they were not permitted to request citizenship or settle in the United States. For decades, the Chinese laborers did not have legal rights to enter into the United States until the decision was overturned. Lee, Erika, and Reason noted, “Chinese activist turned their attention to opening up additional immigration categories within the confines of the restrictions…some 300,000 Chinese were admitted into the United States as returning residents and citizens” (p. 4). The activists fought for the rights of the Chinese people to overturn the decision for leaving and entering as pleased to the United
Expanding the American West and the United States’ industrial revolution brought immigrants to our shores. In the 1850’s the Chinese began to show up in large numbers shortly after gold was discovered in California in 1848. Oversight from the Federal Government of immigration began in 1182. Congress passed the Immigration Act and this act brought about the gathering of fees from each non-citizen that arrived at the U.S port and was to utilized by the Treasury Department to control immigration, when immigrants were typically tested to ascertain whether they are suitable for or could be trusted and if they were thought to be a convict, crazy. Stupid or if they couldn’t care for themselves entry was prohibited. Between 1880 and 1930 there were over 27 million new immigrants that had arrived they came from Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia, Britain, Canada, Ireland, and Sweden. This period was the largest immigration period and made way for new restrictions. The enlargement of racial exclusion and by overriding the presidential veto Congress was able to pass the 1917 Immigration Act that did not allow immigration from and Asiatic barred zone which included British, India, and most of Southeast Asia and almost all of the Middle East and prohibited admission on the grounds of anarchists, and people previously deported, also
Racial discrimination is a pertinent issue in the United States. Although race relations may seem to have improved over the decades in actuality, it has evolved into a subtler form and now lurks in institutions. Sixty years ago racial discrimination was more overt, but now it has adapted to be more covert. Some argue that these events are isolated and that racism is a thing of the past (Mullainathan). Racial discrimination is negatively affecting the United States by creating a permanent underclass of citizens through institutional racism in business and politics, and creating a cancerous society by rewriting the racist history of America. Funding research into racial discrimination will help society clearly see the negative effects that racism
The United States industrial revolution brought immigrants from near and far. Chinese immigrants began to arrive in large numbers after gold was discovered in California in 1848 but as the mining boom decreased, hostility toward the Chinese and other foreigners swelled and that began a succession of legislative measures to restrict immigration of particular racial groups, starting with the Chinese. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 stopped immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years and extradition of anyone in the country illegally which was extended ten more years in 1892 with the Geary Act. In 1888 Congress passed, the Scott Act and banned the return of any Chinese immigrant with legal status in the United States if they had left the country. As more and more people came to the United States,
One more problem with race relations in the United States is employers. Some bosses/CEO’s refuse to hire a certain race, which is discrimination – according to SAGE journal articles – because members of a particular group are being excluded from certain privileges. Another article also said that “During the fourth quarter of 2012, unemployment among whites stood at 6.3 percent; for Hispanics it was 9.8 percent; for blacks, 14.0 percent”, due to the fact that racial discrimination exists where success takes
Looney, Adam. “What Immigration Means for US Employment and Wages”. The Hamilton Project. May 2012. 3 December 2013.
Regarded as unassimilable, Asian immigrants were systematically discriminated by way of American immigration policies. The earliest policy enforced that overtly excluded groups of individuals based on racial categorization was passed in 1882. This was known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. As the years went by, hostile sentiments towards Asians fostered and eventually manifested themselves in the Immigration Act of 1924. In response to these discriminating policies, prospective immigrants sought alternate routes to America, often involving the channel of human smuggling. Despite the presence of human smuggling prior to the late 20th century, heightened awareness of this exploit resulted from the media sensation around the Golden Venture ship,
Americans blamed declining wages and economic problems on the Chinese people. The Chinese people were not allowed to become citizens of the U.S. for ten years. The United States government was worried about “racial purity”. In 1892, the act was renewed for another ten years. In 1902 Chinese immigration was permanently illegal. The Chinese population dropped dramatically. Because of the Chinese exclusion act, the United States made other immigration acts toward undesirable people such as the Middle Easterners, and the Hindu and East Indians. Only in 1943 were the Chinese allowed to become citizens, and
This discrimination initially began with the Naturalization Act of 1790, allowing free white-men of “good character” naturalization while excluding Native Americans, indentured servants, free Blacks, and Asians. In addition to extreme acts, the Chinese Exclusion Act, signed in 1882, had prohibited the Chinese from entering our country. Another example of the racism Asian-Americans faced occurred during World War II due to the war’s propaganda and the slurs that came about as a result of the war. The historical background of Asian-Americans and racism not only left scarring tendencies, but managed to transcend into modern society within a lower degree.
Such topic above has brought about a hot debate on the Internet. Many people insist there is no discrimination against Asian Americans. More than a half Asian Americans hold college degree (Hyun, 16). “In 2013, Asians’ median weekly earnings were $973, as compared to$799 for whites” (Golash-Boza). Considered the most educated and richest racial group in the United States, Asians can hardly be connected to facing discrimination from the view of some people. In addition, many believe it is the lack of communication skills and leadership characteristics that hold Asians back in promotion, instead of discrimination.
Pia M. Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny. “Does Immigration Affect Wages? A Look at Occupational-Level Evidence.” Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Research Department. Working Paper 0302. August 2003. 21. Print.
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
The Chinese Exclusion Act allowed only Chinese immigrants that were merchants, diplomats, students, and very few others. The Chinese were discriminated in reaction to the large amounts of Chinese immigrants entering the United States. Americans feared
Though the Congress passed many constitutional amendments guaranteeing civil rights, Chinese immigrants were still segregated and discriminated against. Eventually in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, prohibiting any Chinese or Mongolian individuals from entering California. This act required Chinese who were not laborers to provide certification to show they were qualified to immigrate, defining deniable as skilled/unskilled laborers, and employed in mining. This made it extremely difficult for the Chinese to prove qualification to enter the state. In 1943, Congress had finally revoked this
The evidence shows that in the long run, immigrants do not reduce native employment rates. But some evidence suggests that in the short run, immigration may slightly reduce native employment because the economy takes the time to adjust to new immigration. Importantly, this effect varies according to the broader economic environment. In particular, when the economy is growing and the labor market is adding jobs, new immigration creates enough jobs even in the short run (and even for the less-educated) to cause no harm to the net employment of native-born workers. But during economic downturns, things do not adjust as quickly. When the economy is weak, new immigration has a small negative impact in the short run on the employment of native-born workers. (Costa)