The history of Chinese Immigration to USA - Research Paper Example

Wherever they went, the Chinese immigrants brought with them their language, culture, social institutions, and customs; and as time went on, they made lasting contributions to the United States as they tried to become an integral part of the U.S. population. (“Chinese immigration to the US”) Privation of the Chinese immigrants to USA in the 18th century Integration has not been an easy one because the Chinese underwent a long period of discrimination from their adopted country. At the outset, they were at once discriminately treated from among the European immigrants and other racial minorities.

They were the first immigrant group singled out for denial of citizenship by the U.S. Congress in 1882. Chinese immigration is separated into three periods: 1849 – 1882, 1882-1965 and 1965 to present. The first period of immigration that begun with the California Gold rush in 1848 (Golden Venture) was cut short by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The Exclusion Act suspended labor immigration from China for ten years (USA Chronology). During this first period, the Chinese enjoyed the freedom to travel and become contract laborers in America.

Thousands of young male peasants from China were recruited to work in the mines, toil the fields as agricultural workers, and become construction workers to construct a vast railroad network, reclaim swamp-lands, build irrigation system, develop the fishing industry, and work in the labor intensive manufacturing industries in the western states. All along, these Chinese workers felt the anti-sentiments of their presence since they were precluded on becoming permanent settlers. Because of this sentiment, the Chinese immigrants kept to themselves an intention of going back to China when the time comes to enjoy the benefit of their retirement, and to advance their own well being while they are in U.S. According to estimates, there were about 110,000 Chinese populations during the first wave of immigration.

The second wave of immigration showed a very limited number of Chinese immigrants to U.S. This is caused by political tensions between the U.S and the Chinese governments that further curtailed the chance of Chinese immigrants to enter America. Because America felt Chinese laborers were no longer needed, beginning in 1882, the naturalization and immigrations became very strict to them. At the onset of 1882, an economic hardship was also felt in the U.S., so much so that European Americans also had to compete with the works reserved for the Chinese.

This era is also characterized by the beginning of racial discrimination and hatred because of competition and anti-Chinese riots were frequent scenes in the streets of San Francisco. These scenarios put pressure on the U.S. government so that the exclusion act was promulgated (The Library of Congress). A quota allowing only 108 Chinese immigrants was set; so from the period 1888 to 1965, only diplomats, merchants and students and their dependents were allowed to enter the U.S (“Chinese Americans”) Even those Chinese, who are already in the U.S., are largely discriminated upon, and had to confine their presence in segregated places called Chinatown.

They were denied democratic rights, and access to it thru legal procedures was not successful. The third wave of Chinese