Dehumanization Of Chinese Immigrants
The large number of Chinese immigrants that migrated to California throughout the 19th century to find work and escape political and economic issues in their own country. They came in hope to achieve the "American Dream", especially during the gold rush. Chinese men and women were faced with many obstacles in America including racism, unjust convictions, and dehumanization. The Chinese were often viewed as exotic and even sinister in the view of a white American due to there many cultural differences. While both Chinese men and women migrated over to the United States, their experiences when they arrived had many differences.
Chinese men arrived to work as laborers especially on the transcontinental and central Pacific railroads. They also
worked in the mines, as domestic servants and also as private businesses such as laundries. They faced much discrimination based on their cultural beliefs, one example of this would simply be the way that they wore their hair at the time. Many Chinese men wore their hair in queues which is a long braid down the back of their heads. To them this hair style was an important part of their culture however, European Americans viewed it as uncivilized and many were forced to cut their queues if they wanted to keep working.
Chinese women were often brought to America not by choice, but by force into the prostitution business. They were often sold by their own race in China to be sent to the business in the United states. To Americans at the time Chinese women were seen as highly exotic and sexual being, they were even said to have different shaped female anatomy compared to a European women. Many of these women would try to escape to rural areas outside of the city to become domestic slaves. While there conditions and right were still bad in the rural areas, they had a little more rights and freedom than in the city. Many were often captured from these areas and taken back to the city.
Throughout 19th century America, several laws were put in place that discriminated against Chinese immigrants. One example is the Fugitive Slave Law, this gave people the permission to capture Chinese as slaves even though California had controversially claimed at this point in time to be a free state. San Francisco also passed the Cubic Air Ordinance, Queue Ordinance and Sidewalk Ordinance all aimed specifically at the Chinese.
Chinese men arrived to work as laborers especially on the transcontinental and central Pacific railroads. They also
worked in the mines, as domestic servants and also as private businesses such as laundries. They faced much discrimination based on their cultural beliefs, one example of this would simply be the way that they wore their hair at the time. Many Chinese men wore their hair in queues which is a long braid down the back of their heads. To them this hair style was an important part of their culture however, European Americans viewed it as uncivilized and many were forced to cut their queues if they wanted to keep working.
Chinese women were often brought to America not by choice, but by force into the prostitution business. They were often sold by their own race in China to be sent to the business in the United states. To Americans at the time Chinese women were seen as highly exotic and sexual being, they were even said to have different shaped female anatomy compared to a European women. Many of these women would try to escape to rural areas outside of the city to become domestic slaves. While there conditions and right were still bad in the rural areas, they had a little more rights and freedom than in the city. Many were often captured from these areas and taken back to the city.
Throughout 19th century America, several laws were put in place that discriminated against Chinese immigrants. One example is the Fugitive Slave Law, this gave people the permission to capture Chinese as slaves even though California had controversially claimed at this point in time to be a free state. San Francisco also passed the Cubic Air Ordinance, Queue Ordinance and Sidewalk Ordinance all aimed specifically at the Chinese.