Asian Immigration 1800s

Immigration has been a part of the world since the early 1500s. Sadly, the immigrants were treated very poorly when they first entered North America. Majority of the people in North America have changed their views towards people of colour compared to the past. Therefore, it is now safe to say there is more equality in the world today. Some people may still be judgmental, negative, and continue to think the way they thought back in the early 1500s. Luckily, most have learned to care and see everyone as an equal. Asians, East Asians, and black people have experienced similar treatment but some received more negative treatment than others. Racism was a big factor in the past, but it did not only occur due to the colour of someone’s skin, but
also could arise from a person’s religious beliefs. The lives of Asians, East Asians, and black people throughout the past, and present will be discussed, as well as how North Americans see their religious views.

In the late 1800s, Asians (particularly Chinese) arrived and were welcomed in the United States.
Many Chinese were drawn to California due to the gold rush; it attracted Chinese miners and contract labourers. Unfortunately, Asians were excluded from getting their citizenship in the states. However, the law was later removed after World War II, and new laws were put into place in order to allow them to enter the United States freely. When they first entered North America, they arrived in large numbers and started to sell goods in New York City to make a decent living. A little over 1000 Asian immigrants entered U.S., but ten years later near 37000 entered. They were recruited by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1865, to work on the transcontinental railroad. In 1868, the Chinese and the United states allowed the Burlingame Treaty, which allowed Asian immigrants to migrate. Unfortunately, Americans were “overwhelmed” by the large numbers of Chinese people in the States. An Anti-Chinese riot occurred in 1877 in Chico, California and in 1885 in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Japanese moved to Hawaii and California, and in 1869 the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony were founded in California. Number of Asian immigration steadily grew in the 20th century in Europe, Latin America, and North America. In more recent times, there were a total of 5 million Asian immigrants in 1990 and then the number doubled in 2009 leading to 10.6 million
immigrants.

Nowadays, immigration is very common; Asians enter North America every year, whether it is for families in search for a better life or students looking for a better education. Because so many Asians immigrated in the past, many of the Asians in North America are Asian Americans. A good number of them are born in North America, and also marry people of different races. They are now seen as an equal to the economy; some also have government jobs. For example Steven Chu, he is an American physicist and a well-known researcher for his research of cooling and trapping atoms with laser light at Bell Labs and Stanford University. The United States today is now filled with many diverse Asians such as Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. Back in 2005 there was a 27% U.S. foreign-born population, but in 2008 the number jumped to 40%. There are many different reasons for attracting the Asian immigrants entering North America, but one of the main reasons is for a “migration pathway through family-sponsored visas for relatives of U.S. citizens”. In 2012, 55% of visas were given to families who wished to bring their family members into Untied States. People who have employer-sponsored visas have to wait many years to reunite with their family. An example is some adult Filipino’s will have to wait for 25 years in order to get a green card for their sibling.

Over the past decade, Asians are the fastest growing immigrants that are entering The States and with them they bring their diverse cultures, languages, and different economic and demographic traits.
The main religions that Asians follow are Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, and Islam. Buddhism has been a part of China for 2,000 years and it is now gradually accepted by many people. Many people follow Buddhism for their own choice. Buddhism has now become into a very well-known religion in China. Confucianism is not an actual religion, but an ethical and philosophical system. Many countries in the world are influenced by Confucianism. Taoism began back in the Warring Period 1,800 years ago. There are approximately 300 Taoist Temples in China. Christianity was first introduced to Asians in Tang Dynasty and at that time it was named “Nestoriaism”. There about 30 million Asians who Christians. Surprisingly Islam is also a part of one of the religions Asians follow and it was introduced to them in the 7th century in Tang
Dynasty.

Indians, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi people are the main people who live in America. Indians have been migrating to The United States since the 1820’s. Asian Indians entered America in the mid 19th century and by the end of the century, there were about 2,000 Indians and most being Sikhs. Majority of Sikhs worked in agriculture and construction and other Indians came as merchants and traders. Many of them worked in lumber mills and logging camps. Indians along with the other Asian immigrants worked in the Western Pacific Railway, they built bridges and tunnels. In between 1910 and 1920, they bought land and owned about 38,000 acres of land by 1920 in California and 85,000 acres in the Sacramento Valley. It was normal for Indian men to marry Mexican woman and raise a family. Violence towards Asian Indians had been increasing in the western parts of the United States. The Asiatic Exclusion League was created back in 1907, so Americans can exclude Asians. Many other laws were put into place between 1917 and 1923 in order to restrict Asian Indians from entering America or denying residence or citizenship. Some of the laws were broken while others were kept. The literacy clause were added, making immigrant take a literacy test to eligible to gain a citizenship.

14.2 million Asian Indians migrate worldwide, and Untied States is the second common destination. Other places are Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Nepal and, United Kingdom, this was during 2013. I the States immigrants get a lawful permanent residence through the “employment-based preference”. Majority of Indian immigrant settle in California, New Jersey, and Texas, they locate in ‘Santa Clara County, California’, ‘Middlesex County, New Jersey’, ‘Cook County, Illinois’, and ‘Alameda County, California’. All these counties equal to about only 15% of the immigrant in the United States. From 2009 to 2013, New York City, Chicago, and San Jose gained the largest number of Indian immigrants, and this take up 27% of the immigration population. As said in the article “In 2013, only 26 percent of Indian immigrants (ages 5 and over) reported limited English proficiency, compared to 50 percent of the total foreign-born population”, therefore only 10% of immigrants spoke English at home and the other spoke many other languages such as Hindi, Guajarati, Panjabi, and Tamil. Asian Indians tend to have a higher lever of education attainment comparing to other foreign and native-born. Indian immigrants over the age of 25 had a bachelor’s degree or something more (approximately 76%), and more than half have either a graduate or professional degree. 14% of the temporary visas would be given to the Indian students who earning are trying to achieve a doctorate in a U.S. college or Universities since 84% of them plan to stay in the United States after getting their degrees.

For Asian Indians the main religions they follow are Hindu, Muslim, Buddhism, and Christianity. Hindu and Muslim are the largest number for followers between Asian Indians. Buddhism and Christianity have a small number of Asian Indian followers. Since the 1950s, the Hindu and Sikhs religious temples have been built to allow them to worship freely. Muslims worship mosques. Throughout the United States there are hundreds places for Asian Indians to worship their gods. Most of them go to the temples on a regular basis while others just go during special occasions or religious ceremonies. Islam is very similar to Christianity; it is about a prophet to send Gods message to everyone. There are five requirements into properly be a Muslim and those are “Confession that there is "no god but God" and Muhammad is the messenger of God”, pray five time every day, give of alms, fasting during daylight hours and during the month of Ramadan and to visit the Mecca at least once in a lifetime. It is sad to learn that people who are Muslim are attacked nowadays, especially in recent events. Back in September 9th, 2001, Islamic terrorist caused 911 in New York City causing a massive destruction, and since then many people see every Muslim person as a terrorist or untrustworthy. Donald Trump is currently running for president of the United S