Asian-American History

From Chinese laborers in the 1800s to millions of U.S. citizens today

When they first arrived in the United States, Asian (usually Chinese) immigrants were
welcomed, or at least tolerated. After the California gold rush brought thousands of
Chinese to California, however, Asian immigrants faced restrictive laws and occasional
violence.
In the late 1800s, Chinese, and eventually other Asians, were excluded from
citizenship. These laws were repealed during World War II, followed by further
immigration-law changes, making it easier for Asians to enter the United States.
Today, Asian immigrants have a high rate of assimilation and participation in the
American mosaic.
Gold Rush Boom
The Chinese were the first Asians to arrive in large numbers. By the 1830s, Chinese
were selling goods in New York City and toiling in Hawaiian sugarcane fields.
Gold was discovered in California in 1848, eventually attracting thousands of Chinese
miners and contract laborers. In 1850, just over 1,000 Asian immigrants entered the
U.S., but ten years later, the figure had jumped to nearly 37,000, mostly Chinese.
Violent Protests
In some quarters, Chinese workers were welcomed. The Central Pacific Railroad
recruited Chinese to work on the transcontinental railroad in 1865. Three years later
the Chinese and the U.S. ratified the Burlingame Treaty which facilitated Chinese
immigration.
However, many people feared being "overwhelmed" by the influx, which had swelled
to nearly 65,000 in 1870, and over 107,000 in 1880. Some cities passed laws against
Chinese and other Asians, often referred to as "Mongolians." Anti-Chinese riots
erupted in Chico, California, in 1877 and in Rock Springs, Wyoming, in 1885.
Japanese Arrive
Meanwhile, increasing contact with Japan prompted Japanese to move to Hawaii and
California to work in agriculture. In 1869 the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony was
established in California.
Contact with the Philippines
In 1899, following the Spanish-American War, the Philippines came under U.S.
control, prompting increased immigration. In 1902, the pensionado program, which
allowed Filipinos to study in the U.S., was implemented.
Because most Filipinos are Roman Catholic, their integration into American life was
somewhat easier than for other Asians. Though Filipinos faced the same prejudices as
Chinese and Japanese laborers (as described in Carlos Bulosan's book America is in
the Heart), Filipinos arrived with English skills, making assimilation easier.

Japanese Internment
During World War II, more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were placed
in internment camps. Even though many did not speak Japanese or have close ties to
Japan, they were nonetheless regarded as wartime threats. Although the U.S. was
also at war with Germany and Italy, Americans with ancestors from those countries did
not face internment.
In 1988, Congress passed a measure giving $20,000 to Japanese Americans who had
been interned during the war. President George H.W. Bush signed it the following
year.
Increasing Numbers
Although Asian immigration increased steadily through much of the 20th century, the
region still contributed fewer newcomers than Europe, Latin America, and North
America.
The McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 eliminated race as a barrier to immigration, and in
1965 national quotas were ended, thus facilitating Asian immigration.
Increasing Clout
Political power soon followed. Dalip Singh was elected to U.S. Congress from
California's Imperial Valley, and in 1962 Hawaii sent Daniel K. Inouye to the U.S.
Senate and Spark Matsunaga to the U.S. House. Two years later, Patsy Takemoto
Mink of Hawaii was elected to the U.S. House, becoming the first Asian-American
woman in Congress.
Since then, hundreds of Asian Americans have been elected to state legislatures and
municipal positions.
A More Diverse Group
In 1979, the United States and China resumed diplomatic relations, making
immigration easier for Chinese. But, new arrivals came from other Asian countries as
well, including India and Pakistan. And in 1975 following the Vietnam War, more than
130,000 refugees fleeing from the Communist governments of Vietnam, Cambodia,
and Laos arrived on U.S. shores. Million of Asians arrived in subsequent years.
In 1980, more than 2.5 million Asian immigrants entered the U.S., up from under
500,000 in 1960.
The Immigration Act of 1990 increased the numbers of Asians coming to the U.S. by
raising the total quota and reorganizing system of preferences to favor certain
professional groups. This allowed Asians with training in medicine, high technology,
and other specialties to enter more easily. From 5 million in 1990, the number of Asian
immigrants more than doubled by 2009, reaching 10.6 million.

East Asia
East Asia encompasses the ancient cultural centers of China, Japan, and the Koreas, as well as
Taiwan. With a written history stretching back more than 4,000 years, this area is one of the great
centers of human civilization.

China
Japan
North Korea
South Korea
Taiwan
Southeast Asia fruit stand. flydime on Flickr.com
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia includes the mainland countries of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and
Burma (Myanmar), as well as a number of island nations: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei and East Timor. This is a diverse region of rich and ancient cultures, but the
more recent history of much of this area has been tragic.

Brunei
Burma (Myanmar)
Cambodia
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
The Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
India's Taj Mahal.abhijeet.rane on Flickr.com
Indian Subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is one of the earliest sites of human civilization, and has had a rich and
varied cultural and political history down through the millennia. Today, it encompasses the
nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Bangladesh
Bhutan
India

The Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Yurts in Central Asia.AudreyH on Flickr.com
Central Asia
The wide-open steppes and jagged mountains of Central Asia have been a cultural crossroads for
millennia. The site of the great Silk Road traffic in former years, these nations are once more
gaining attention for their fossil fuel resources in an energy-hungry world. The countries that
make up this fascinating region are: Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.

Afghanistan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Mongolia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Camels in Saudi Arabia.Michael (mx5tx) on Flickr.com
The Middle East and Asia Minor
The Middle East and Asia Minor have long been a pivot point between the cultures of the
Mediterranean world and those of greater Asia. This region includes Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Jordan,
Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, and the United
Arab Emirates.

Bahrain
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates

Yemen
Immigration

Foreign-Born Population in the U.S., by country

Foreign-Born Population in the U.S., by continent
Immigrants to U.S. by Country of Origin
Immigrants Admitted as Permanent Residents Under Refugee Acts
Countries of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population
Foreign-Born Population in Metropolitan Areas
Encyclopedia: Immigration
Population

Population of the United States by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000 and 2010
Census Results
U.S. Asian Population
U.S. Pacific Islander Population
Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank
Race & Ethnicity
Asian-American Enclaves
Language

Persons Speaking a Language Other than English at Home

Chinese
Hindi
Indo-Iranian (Indian, Iranian)
Japanese
Malayo-Polynesian (Malay)
Mandarin
Sino-Tibetan (Chinese, Thai)
Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Vietnamese)
Tagalog
Thai
Tibetan
Urdu

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Top Secret Military Hardware: The Wheelbarrow in 200 AD

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See 7 of Asia's Oldest Cities
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Learn How Portugal Took Control of Macau
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Political Cartoons - A View of Colonial India

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Persia's National Epic, the Shahnameh

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The Mongols Destroy Baghdad, 1258

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Facts You Should Know About Palestine

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"The Mikado" - Satire of Britain, Not of Japan

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Sima Qian's Horrifying Sacrifice
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What Is Sanskrit?
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Where Was Babylon?
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This Country Has Had More Coups than Any Other
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11 Animals First Domesticated in Asia
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How Did the Ottoman Empire Encourage European Exploration?

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