Since the beginning of the pandemic, discrimination towards Chinese Americans has spiked. From unprovoked attacks to racial slurs, some have even been killed as a result of the violence that has ensued, motivated in part by “biases pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic” (ABCNews). Despite this recent surge, discrimination towards Chinese Americans and Asian-Americans isn’t new. Seeing current attitudes towards Chinese-Americans affirms the need to understand the history behind Chinese immigration to the United States—-and why America is their home as much as anyone else’s.
Chinese people first began immigrating to the United States in the 1850s due to political instability in China and gold incentive from the California Gold Rush (1849-1862). Chinese people flocked to America in search of gold, freedom, jobs and an escape from China’s poverty, instability and failing economy. Once in America, the Chinese worked menial in job positions such as laundry workers, farmhands, and most notably, railroad workers. In 1864, Chinese immigrants were hired to build the Transcontinental Railroad, the first railroad that linked the United States from the east to west coast. They were hired due to a lack of response from white laborers given the dangerousness of the job. As Chinese people immigrated and settled into life in America, they encountered violent racism as Americans saw Chinese immigrants as a threat to their jobs. The burning of Chinatowns and lynching of the Chinese, along with the misguided attitudes of white superiority and envy of Chinese labor, led to the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 that banned all Chinese immigration into the nation.
America and China did not cross paths again until World War II, when they became allies fighting against Germany, Japan and Italy. Despite Chinese people fighting alongside the US in the war, the Chinese Exclusion Act was still in place. Realizing this, the United States issued a blatantly discriminatory immigration quota in 1943: 105 people were allowed to enter the country each year. Despite the quota, in 1945, with the passing of the War Brides Act, wives and children were allowed to join their husbands in America resulting in an upsurge of Chinese immigration.
The 1950s and 60s brought on another wave of immigrants due to Mao Zedong’s policies, which contributed to widespread famine and persecution. The Great Leap Forward, Mao’s campaign to industrialize China, resulted in famine. Mao would go on to initiate a cultural revolution, which attempted to purge the country of bourgeoisie and western-deemed peoples. During this time, if people had the means or if people were willing to risk their lives, they fled to the US. However, after Mao’s death, Dao Xiaoping came back to power, which led to the opening up of Chinese markets to free-market principles which in turn resulted in the growth of the Chinese economy. As China’s economy thrives in the world today, Chinese immigration has decreased as Chinese people have found economic opportunities at home.
Today, the media we consume plays an integral role in influencing our opinions. However, that doesn’t mean we should let the media change our acceptance of different races and ethnicities. I hope that understanding this historical context serves as a reminder of Chinese people’s history in America—and how they deserve to be accepted just as much as anyone else does in the United States.