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Jordan Keig Kelley AP English, 6th period February 6, 2013 Chinese Immigration to America The Chinese have a long cultural history in America beginning with their first migration in the early eighteenth century. The first Chinese immigrants were wealthy merchants and skilled artisans who were know for their dependability, hard work and incredible work ethic ("Immigration: The Chinese). However, during the nineteenth century there was an influx of unskilled Chinese laborers who immigrated to the US in search of job opportunities. Propelled by the famine and civil war in China, many people migrated to the United States so that they could work and send money home to their families(Chinese Immigration to the United States). The Chinese came by the hundreds on steamships that arrived in San Francisco's harbor. By 1851, there were over 25,000 unskilled Chinese laborers attracted by the gold rush in San Francisco ("Immigration: The Chinese). The Chinese in America lived a very hard life. They were paid low wages for extremely dangerous and rigorous work ("Immigration: The Chinese). As the population of Chinese immigrants increased in California, the Chinese began to come together and live in the same area of a city, These ethnic enclaves were called "Chinatowns" which were often segregated ghettos ("Chinese Immigration to the United States"). One of the biggest and most significant Chinatowns was in San Francisco. Within these Chinatowns, the Chinese celebrated their unique culture, social institutions and customs (Chinese Immigration to the United States). The earliest immigrants were accepted very well by the Americans. Their employers, government officials and the general public viewed them as responsible people who were willing to work hard to earn their living ("Immigration: The Chinese). However, during the nineteenth

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century Americans began to have a more negative and hostile attitude towards the immigrants. Southern miners with unfriendly, racist attitudes often drove the Chinese away from their mines with violence ("Immigration: The Chinese"). Resentment of the Chinese increased as the years went on. White urban workers were very violent towards the Chinese and there were many cases of murder ("Immigration: The Chinese). Mob violence continued to increase towards the Chinese until even wealthy and successful immigrants were in danger ("Immigration: The Chinese"). In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act restricted all immigration of Chinese to the United States to prevent an excess of cheap labor ("Chinese Immigration to the United States"). A detention center called Angel Island was set up to house Chinese immigrants who were trying to enter the United States illegally (Poetry from Chinese Immigrants). Many of the immigrants detained on this island wrote poems on the walls of their cells. One theme commonly expressed in these poems was the yearning for their homeland. One poem, written by an anonymous prisoner from Heungshan, states that his fellow Chinese citizens should "remember China" and "return home early" ("Poem from Angel Island"). Another detainee by the name Xu recalls leaving his wife in China when he writes about "tears flowing face to face" ("Poetry from Chinese Immigrants"). These sentiments show that the Chinese immigrants were still very attached to their home and had intentions of going back after earning money in America. These poems are also expressions of the loneliness that they felt while living in the detention centers. Another prominent theme found in these poems is the disappointment the immigrants experienced regarding their lives in America. A detainee from Heungshan writes that he intended to "earn a living" in America and envisioned living in "lofty" western styled buildings but instead ended up living in "a prison" ("The Poetry of Angel Island"). As these poems indicate, many Chinese came to America with honest intentions and high expectations, but as a result of the

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Chinese Exclusion Act they were never given the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. The harsh conditions in the America are another reoccurring theme. An author from Huengshan writes about the "cries of suffering and sadness" that could be heard throughout Angel Island ("Poem from Angel Island"). Another author from Huengshan compares himself to "an ox" meaning that labor conditions in the United States were so harsh that they dehumanized the workers, making them like beasts of burden ("The poetry of Angel Island"). A poet by the name of Xu depicts America as a barbarous place with "laws harsh as tigers" ("Poetry from Chinese Immigrants"). All of these poems convey a sense of America as a place where the Chinese are treated as less than human. Considering the Chinese experience in light of these poems, one understands the struggles endured by Chinese immigrants. Some immigrants were deported back to China or detained in places such as Angel Island. Those who remained in the United States faced constant violence and racism not to mention the harsh laws and dangerous labor conditions. Although the Chinese struggled in America, they ultimately left a lasting cultural impression on the country.

Works Cited "Chinese Immigration to the United States." Chinese Immigration. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. "Immigration: The Chinese." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. "KQED : Pacific Link: The KQED Asian Education Initiative: History: The Poetry of Angel Island." KQED : Pacific Link: The KQED Asian Education Initiative: History: The Poetry of Angel Island. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. "The American Primary Sources Challenge." : Poetry from Chinese Immigrants. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. "Poem from Angel Island." Poem from Angel Island. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013