Chinese America †The Perseverant Underdog Essay - 1302 Words

Since the birth of America, many different people from all around the world flocked to North America in hopes of making a good life for themselves, or their families. Many came from the west, as well as a large amount came from the east. Most of these eastern immigrants hailed from China. These people were welcomed with open arms and kindness for a short time, at least at first. Afterwards, there was a long period of racial tension, due to social differences. How did the Chinese immigrants integrate themselves into the American culture, and what difficulties did they face? One thing is sure; the Chinese have stood fast throughout history, and made their place in American society. Before arriving anywhere near the United States, the†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, there would be people who would seek to take advantage of these immigrants, assaulting them with unfair or unsafe work conditions. They also had to contend with those who perceived them and other Asian people as a threat, to their society and their job market. (Cao Novas XIII) Eventually, the nation felt the Asian workforce was no longer needed, and thus created the Asian Exclusion Act of 1882, among a long list of various acts that would keep Asian immigrants from coming to America. Not only were they no longer allowed passage into the nation, they also struggled with the right to equality, courtesy, consideration, and dignity. They were â€Å"allowed† to work for little pay, and then were mistreated, for no real justifiable reason. Even worse, they couldn’t invite and bring over their loved ones from their homeland. Thus, many Chinese Americans who were alone remained alone. (Cao Novas XIII) Perhaps the largest source of labor for the Chinese Immigrants was the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. It was in 1862 that Congress called a massive railroad to be constructed, linking the east to the west. Large amounts of Chinese applied for the jobs that were called for during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, many of them hired immediately upon arriving from China. Having a reputation for being awesome, dependable laborers, many of them were