Chinese Exclusion A short history of immigration, discrimination and accommodation

Coming to America: Count em Back in China, end of Opium War, carving up of China, unrest, lack of land California Gold Rush 1850 – – 25, s – more than 100,000 Fewer than 2% women Bachelor communities

California Gold Rush First big immigration wave to Gun San Mining, Central Pacific RR, laundering $1.00 per day Bachelors

Welcome to America Labor cheap (suspect to working native citizens) Anti- immigrant labor sentiments Foreign mine tax Alien poll tax 1850s Calif. Judge said Chinese couldnt testify 1870s Anti-Coolies Association & Supreme Order of Caucasians boycott Chinese businesses Riots in Chinatowns across the West

1870s book: Chinese in California One can hardly help laughing at the strange race, they seem such a queer sort of patch in the mottled quilt of California life. They do everything in such a comical way! They never walk, but jog; they never run, but trot. If they ride horseback, as they are fond of doing, they sit so near the horse's tail, they are in constant danger of going off behind. When they wish to rest in their journeys afoot, they squat down, three or four often in a row, in the most ridiculous attitude imaginable.

Chinese Response 1855 Chinese Merchants organize to protest discrimination Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (Chinese 6 Companies) Petition President Grant on behalf of Chinese

1870s difficulties Decline in Mining Termination of the Trans-continental RR Panic of 1873 – Unemployment high Scapegoat Chinese

The Opium Den

Denis Kearney: The Chinese Must Go

Chinese Exclusion Act Barred Chinese from entering U.S. for 10 years (merchants teachers, students, travelers under strict regulations) Chinese already residing in U.S. had to have a permit to reenter Granted Chinese permanent resident alien status (no citizenship) Extended twice (finally repealed in 1943)