1. What does the Chinese immigrant express about immigrating to America? It was more difficult than expected and changed the opinion that all were welcomed to America.

7. Asian Immigration  China In the mid-1800s, China’s population exploded. This factor, coupled with severe unemployment, poverty, and famine, pushed Chinese from their homeland. At the same time, news of the gold strike in California in 1848 pulled Chinese to the United States. Demand for rail workers in the 1860s also attracted Chinese immigrants.  Japan Between 1900 and 1910, the number of Japanese immigrants to the United States increased rapidly. Economic difficulties caused by industrialization pushed immigrants from Japan. Many of those who left Japan went first to Hawaii to work on plantations there. They immigrated to the United States from Hawaii. Until 1910, Asian immigrants entered the United States via Angel Island and awaited immigration hearings. The wait to enter the country often lasted months.

8. Asian and European Immigration  How does the number of immigrants from Asia compare with the number of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe in the period between 1860 and 1920?  There are many times more European immigrants than Asian immigrants.

9. Asian and European Immigration  How might an immigration hearing on Angel Island differ from the inspection and questioning on Ellis Island?  Communication was likely more difficult, since Asian languages differ more dramatically from English than some European languages. Asian immigrants were not as numerous. Months-long waiting periods suggest Asian immigrants were more harshly scrutinized than Europeans.

10. How did Lee Chew adjust to American society? Lee learned English, saved money, and eventually was able to open a business.

11. Background on Nativism  Anti-immigration Groups A combination of racism and labor tension led to a rise in nativism. Anti-immigration groups formed across the United States. One example is the American Protective Association, which agreed not to hire or vote for Catholics. This form of discrimination was geared mainly toward the Irish.  Anti-immigrant Legislation The Chinese Exclusion Act, passed in 1882, halted immigration and the citizenship process for naturalizing Chinese immigrants for 10 years. The law was renewed in 1892, and it became permanent in 1902. Legislation in California deprived Asian immigrants of the right to own property and forced their children to go to segregated schools. The Gentlemen’s Agreement between the United States and Japan ended Japanese immigration.  Literacy Tests Nativists pushed for the passage of literacy tests to create another barrier for new immigrants entering the United States. An English literacy test was recommended for immigrants in 1905.

12. Nativism  What evidence shows that nativism had widespread support among Americans?  Americans formed organizations based on discrimination. Legislators at all levels of government responded to public pressure and passed anti-immigrant legislation.  What reasons motivated the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act?  They would not understand English, and because many of the “new” immigrants came from the poorest levels of their homeland, they might not be literate in their native language, either.

13. What challenges regarding immigration do Americans still face? How has immigration changed? Answer: People resent costs created by accommodating immigrants’ languages, especially those who enter the country illegally. The concern of some Americans that immigrants “steal jobs.” Encourage EL students to contribute to the discussion.