The Chinese and the American West
Chinese Come to America The gold rush of 1849 jump starts Chinese immigration By 1880 200,000 Chinese settled in the U.S- mostly in California (making up 1/10 of the population). Initially viewed as hard-working- “one of the most worthy classes of our newly adopted citizens”
From Mining to Railroads Mining opportunities go away (discrimination on the rise) and the Chinese start to work on the Transcontinental Railroad Made up 90% of the railroad labor force
Chinatowns Chinese moved to same part of the city and political machine like organizations formed- San Francisco was the largest. Tongs- Chinese secret societies, gangs Laundries- Chinese make up 2/3 of laundry workers in California (success) 1880- half of the Chinese women in California were prostitutes
Tong Wars- violent conflict in 1880’s
Anti-Coolie Clubs Nativist/Anti Chinese groups form in the West and call for boycotts of products made with Chinese labor and banning Chinese laborers. Used violence and threats to intimidate the Chinese The Democratic Party and Labor Unions appealed to these groups
1882- Chinese Exclusion Act- Chester A. Arthur signed it Banned Chinese immigration into the United States Banned Chinese already in America from gaining citizenship rights One of the most Xenophobic and racist laws in American History
Repealed in 1943 A good will gesture to our ally in World War II 105 visas a year Still racism towards Asian immigrants with more focus on the Japanese
Dr. Seuss Cartoon