Chinese Immigrant Experience Case Study
2.4 Living situation
The typical Chinese immigrant was a young, able bodied man who usually left his family at home and came as a workingman. He had no intention of staying in America but to send money back home to help his family (Wittke,1964). Mr. Wong illustrated: “’They told me that anyone who comes through Gam Saan will make money fast and go home as a rich man.’“ (Lee & Yung, 2010, p.71).
Statistics undermine these facts by showing that women numbered less than 10 percent of the Chinese American population making Chinese men a big part of the working people.
Consequently, especially the early arrivals didn’t see themselves as Americans but as Asians who would eventually return home and therefore continued their traditions like for example eating with chopsticks (Wittke, 1964). Thus, within the first years an immigrant …show more content…
community was formed in San Francisco which consisted of urban slums - today widely known as Chinatown (Daniels, 1988). Some Chinese were employed there and made money with jobs like shopkeeping while others were part of illegal activities like prostitution and gambling. Since the Chinese society was a so called bachelor society, in 1870 about three fourth of the women were enlisted as prostitutes for clients and the most popular entertainment within Chinatown was gambling society, in 1870 about three fourth of the women were enlisted as prostitutes for clients (Lee & Yung, 2010).
In theory, all Chinese were part of a „district association, originally based on regional districts of Kwangtung Province from which almost all Chinese immigrants came“ (Daniels, 1988, p. 24). The Districts were governed by the Chinese Six Companies that also served as spokesmen and had welfare functions within the community (Daniels, 1988, p.25). They built temples and public halls. Aditionally, many were members of the so called tongs that represent gangs or clans.
But the facts that they continued Chinese traditions and formed their own society instead of assimilating into the Judeo-Christian culture set them off from the American mainstream.
2.5 Exploitation of workers
In the early years of migration most migrants were miners. Overall they did the jobs that were too degrading for white workers and served as cooks, butlers, laundry men, gardeners, etc. (Wittke, 1964). They soon became widely respected for their cheap work, patience, quick learning, neatness, and dependability (Wittke, 1964).
Due to that, when in 1869 10,000 workers were hired by the Central Pacific Railroad to build the transcontinental railroad, almost all of them were Chinese.
In spite of their hard work and efforts that sometimes ended in death they were only paid $35 a month wich was two thirds less than the wage of white workers. But for them it was enough. As food cost between $15 and $18 and shelter was provided by the company, in the end they had $20 left for themselves which was more than they had in their home country (Daniels, 1988, p.19).
When the building of the railroad was over the Chinese came back to California and seeked employment. They found jobs in manufacturing, as laundrymen, as domestic servants as workers in vineyards. (Daniels, 1988, p. 19)
Today it is commonly known that among other constructions the transcontinental railroad would have been impossible to built without the Chinese (Wittke, 1964). In his book “Asian America“ Roger Daniels describes the treatment of the Chinese as a “gross exploitation“ and states that there were’t many other people in US history that “have been as exploited as the Chinese worker[s].“ (Daniels, 1988, p.
21).
2.6 Anti Chinese Movement
At the beginning the Chinese were welcomed by Americans. But over time Americans grew very convinced that the Chinese undermine their standard of living and keep their wages down (Wittke, 1964). Moreover rumors came into being about the filth and blackmail of Chinese secret societies and soon the Chinese became victims of stereotyping and racial violence. Laws appeared restricting them (e.g. prohibit of interracial marriage) until federal justice overthrew discriminating legislation in violence of the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 (Wittke, 1964).
Appearing evidence that Chinese workers were occasionally sent across the country to replace striking white workers angered especially the shoemakers and when the western states fell into an economic recession an organized Anti-Chinese operation came into being. The movement flourished under the leadership of the Irishman Dennis Kearney who promoted rally cries like ‘The Chinese must go’, in the early 1870s. The following parades, petitions, mass meeting concluded in Anti-Chinese conventions and Anti-Chinese societies. As a result of that, different regulation were introduced for Chinese regarding taxes, laundries, as well as their customs and traditions.
The demonstrations escalated and violence broke out, especially in Pacific towns, when e.g. in the summer of 1877, 25 Chinese laundries were burnt in San Francisco. In other incidents Chinese were threatened, injured and even killed (Wittke, 1964).
The issue reached national momentum in 1875 when Congress repealed the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 by passing a law to excluded Asian contract labor and prostitutes from migrating (Lee & Yung, 2010). 7 years later the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed and renewed in 1892 which barred all Chinese laborers from entering the country and prohibited Chinese from becoming citizens. Now, only Chinese students, teacher, diplomats, merchants, and travelers could enter the country (Lee & Yung, 2010).
The issues also gained importance in politics. Soon both parties adapted Anti-Chinese planks that were upheld, especially to keep voters on their side during election campaigns. After the peak of the economic depression in 1873 Denny Kearney’s workingmen party rose. By addressing the needs of the unemployed and opposing the capitalists the party grew, enlisting many kinds of white immigrants. Referendums held in 1879 in California and North Carolina proved the sentiment against the Orientals to be widely spread (Wittke, 1964).
Law Shee Low, wife of a Chinese immigrant, reveals how her neighborhood was affected by the violence: “'They destroyed our farmland and property and we became so poor that we had no food to go with rice, not even soy sauce or black bean paste. Some of our neighbors had to go begging or sell their daughters, times were so bad.’“ (Wittke, 1964, p. ??).
Next to the discrimination of US citizens, Chinese were segregated by the government with the exclusion laws. Another poem carved deeply into the walls of Angel Island shows the sentiment of the Chinese towards the means of oppression.
„I clasped my hands in parting with my brothers and classmates.
Because of the mouth, I hastened to cross the American ocean.
How was I to know that the western barbarians had lost their hearts and reason?
With hundreds of oppressive laws, they mistreat us Chinese.“ (Lee &Yung, 2010, p.69)
Some Chinese protested but overall both sides „accepted exclusion as the final chapter in the story of Chinese immigration (Wittke, 1964) until in 1943 all Oriental exclusion laws were repealed. (Lee & Yung, 2010).
The typical Chinese immigrant was a young, able bodied man who usually left his family at home and came as a workingman. He had no intention of staying in America but to send money back home to help his family (Wittke,1964). Mr. Wong illustrated: “’They told me that anyone who comes through Gam Saan will make money fast and go home as a rich man.’“ (Lee & Yung, 2010, p.71).
Statistics undermine these facts by showing that women numbered less than 10 percent of the Chinese American population making Chinese men a big part of the working people.
Consequently, especially the early arrivals didn’t see themselves as Americans but as Asians who would eventually return home and therefore continued their traditions like for example eating with chopsticks (Wittke, 1964). Thus, within the first years an immigrant …show more content…
community was formed in San Francisco which consisted of urban slums - today widely known as Chinatown (Daniels, 1988). Some Chinese were employed there and made money with jobs like shopkeeping while others were part of illegal activities like prostitution and gambling. Since the Chinese society was a so called bachelor society, in 1870 about three fourth of the women were enlisted as prostitutes for clients and the most popular entertainment within Chinatown was gambling society, in 1870 about three fourth of the women were enlisted as prostitutes for clients (Lee & Yung, 2010).
In theory, all Chinese were part of a „district association, originally based on regional districts of Kwangtung Province from which almost all Chinese immigrants came“ (Daniels, 1988, p. 24). The Districts were governed by the Chinese Six Companies that also served as spokesmen and had welfare functions within the community (Daniels, 1988, p.25). They built temples and public halls. Aditionally, many were members of the so called tongs that represent gangs or clans.
But the facts that they continued Chinese traditions and formed their own society instead of assimilating into the Judeo-Christian culture set them off from the American mainstream.
2.5 Exploitation of workers
In the early years of migration most migrants were miners. Overall they did the jobs that were too degrading for white workers and served as cooks, butlers, laundry men, gardeners, etc. (Wittke, 1964). They soon became widely respected for their cheap work, patience, quick learning, neatness, and dependability (Wittke, 1964).
Due to that, when in 1869 10,000 workers were hired by the Central Pacific Railroad to build the transcontinental railroad, almost all of them were Chinese.
In spite of their hard work and efforts that sometimes ended in death they were only paid $35 a month wich was two thirds less than the wage of white workers. But for them it was enough. As food cost between $15 and $18 and shelter was provided by the company, in the end they had $20 left for themselves which was more than they had in their home country (Daniels, 1988, p.19).
When the building of the railroad was over the Chinese came back to California and seeked employment. They found jobs in manufacturing, as laundrymen, as domestic servants as workers in vineyards. (Daniels, 1988, p. 19)
Today it is commonly known that among other constructions the transcontinental railroad would have been impossible to built without the Chinese (Wittke, 1964). In his book “Asian America“ Roger Daniels describes the treatment of the Chinese as a “gross exploitation“ and states that there were’t many other people in US history that “have been as exploited as the Chinese worker[s].“ (Daniels, 1988, p.
21).
2.6 Anti Chinese Movement
At the beginning the Chinese were welcomed by Americans. But over time Americans grew very convinced that the Chinese undermine their standard of living and keep their wages down (Wittke, 1964). Moreover rumors came into being about the filth and blackmail of Chinese secret societies and soon the Chinese became victims of stereotyping and racial violence. Laws appeared restricting them (e.g. prohibit of interracial marriage) until federal justice overthrew discriminating legislation in violence of the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 (Wittke, 1964).
Appearing evidence that Chinese workers were occasionally sent across the country to replace striking white workers angered especially the shoemakers and when the western states fell into an economic recession an organized Anti-Chinese operation came into being. The movement flourished under the leadership of the Irishman Dennis Kearney who promoted rally cries like ‘The Chinese must go’, in the early 1870s. The following parades, petitions, mass meeting concluded in Anti-Chinese conventions and Anti-Chinese societies. As a result of that, different regulation were introduced for Chinese regarding taxes, laundries, as well as their customs and traditions.
The demonstrations escalated and violence broke out, especially in Pacific towns, when e.g. in the summer of 1877, 25 Chinese laundries were burnt in San Francisco. In other incidents Chinese were threatened, injured and even killed (Wittke, 1964).
The issue reached national momentum in 1875 when Congress repealed the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 by passing a law to excluded Asian contract labor and prostitutes from migrating (Lee & Yung, 2010). 7 years later the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed and renewed in 1892 which barred all Chinese laborers from entering the country and prohibited Chinese from becoming citizens. Now, only Chinese students, teacher, diplomats, merchants, and travelers could enter the country (Lee & Yung, 2010).
The issues also gained importance in politics. Soon both parties adapted Anti-Chinese planks that were upheld, especially to keep voters on their side during election campaigns. After the peak of the economic depression in 1873 Denny Kearney’s workingmen party rose. By addressing the needs of the unemployed and opposing the capitalists the party grew, enlisting many kinds of white immigrants. Referendums held in 1879 in California and North Carolina proved the sentiment against the Orientals to be widely spread (Wittke, 1964).
Law Shee Low, wife of a Chinese immigrant, reveals how her neighborhood was affected by the violence: “'They destroyed our farmland and property and we became so poor that we had no food to go with rice, not even soy sauce or black bean paste. Some of our neighbors had to go begging or sell their daughters, times were so bad.’“ (Wittke, 1964, p. ??).
Next to the discrimination of US citizens, Chinese were segregated by the government with the exclusion laws. Another poem carved deeply into the walls of Angel Island shows the sentiment of the Chinese towards the means of oppression.
„I clasped my hands in parting with my brothers and classmates.
Because of the mouth, I hastened to cross the American ocean.
How was I to know that the western barbarians had lost their hearts and reason?
With hundreds of oppressive laws, they mistreat us Chinese.“ (Lee &Yung, 2010, p.69)
Some Chinese protested but overall both sides „accepted exclusion as the final chapter in the story of Chinese immigration (Wittke, 1964) until in 1943 all Oriental exclusion laws were repealed. (Lee & Yung, 2010).