The Chinese American Experience: BACKGROUND OF CHINESE IMMIGRATION

BACKGROUND OF CHINESE IMMIGRATION

Thousands of Chinese were eager to come to "Gum Shan" or the "Golden Mountain"--another name for California. The Chinese saw this is a golden opportunity to strike it rich, as they had become victims of the "Gold Fever". By 1852, 25,000 Chinese had reached California. The 1852 census showed 804 Chinese males and 10 females in Sacramento (Ling, 1998).The majority of Chinese that came to California were male, as they had to leave their families behind. In search of gold, the Chinese come to Sutter's Mill in Sacramento (Ling, 1998). However, as the search for gold diminished, the Chinese had become a significant part of the labor force in California. It was apparent that they had simply come to work.



Beginning in the early 1850s in California, white workingmen protested that the Chinese drove down wages (Ling, 1998). White labor criticized the Chinese for accepting lower rates of pay, and criticized employers who hired the Chinese instead of whites. Due to the increasing anti-Chinese sentiment, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prevented any further Chinese immigration into California.

From 1910-1940, all Chinese immigrants were forced to come through the Angel Island immigration station when first entering the US. As a result, many Chinese immigrants spent years inside the Immigration Station because the Exclusion Act prevented them from entering the country (Ling, 1998). Due to this act, Chinese men were unable to bring their families and Chinatown was almost an all-male society. The Chinese were unable to connect with what was most precious for them: family.



It was not until WWII, when China became allies with the United States, that the government realized what a mistake they had made and repealed the exclusion act with the Magnuson Act in 1943 (Ling, 1998).

Ling, Huping. (1998) Surviving on the Gold Mountain. Albany, NY. State University of New York Press.


REFLECTION:

The Chinese were "pulled" to come to California. For them (and most other immigrant groups) America was the land of opportunity and in comparison to the condition of their home country, California had a lot more to offer. Leaving their families and homeland behind, the Chinese came looking for a better life. Unfortunately, they were not accepted by mainstream society and faced a great amount of discrimination from the government and society.

Due to the immigration restrictions, many Chinese were unable to go back and bring their families. Even then, they continued to work hard and made numerous contributions to the creation of the American West. Today, we have Chinese Americans who have been living in California for generations. Many of their ancestors came to this country by boat and faced the common hardships of assimilation and acceptance.