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Chinese Immigration Into America Essay

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Chinese Immigration into America

Surprisingly, Asian Americans have been in America for over 150 years.
They are as diverse as the immigrants from Europe, ranging from China, Japan,
Korea, Cambodia, Korea, Philippines, India, Vietnam, and Laos. (Takaki, page 8)
When many people think of American Immigrants, Asians are on the last of their lists. In The Uprooted, Harvard historian, Oscar Handlin, prize winning book with the subtitle "the Epic Story of the Great Migrations that Made the American
People," completely left out the "uprooted" from the lands across the Pacific
Ocean. (Takaki, page 10) This paper will give some information pertaining to the Chinese immigration into America. …show more content…

(Takaki, page 22) In 1848, after a war with Mexico, the United States obtained a region known as California. Finding Californina to be a commercial and agricultural center, it became America's gateway to Asia. (Takaki, page 20)
With the large fertile lands of California, workers were needed to help reap the profits that would flow in. Aaron H. Palmer, a government official, stated, "No people in all the East are so well adapted for the clearing wild lands and raising every species of agricultural product as the Chinese." (Takaki, page
21)

In 1833, the British Empire abolished the practice of slavery.
Plantation owners desperate for field labor made use of coolies. Coolies were basically Chinese that signed labor contracts and were held in virtual slavery.
They were ensnared by brokers into this system by debts, clan war prisoners, or kidnapping. (Melendy, page 13) Like the African slave trade, this method flourished over Asia and had high mortality rates due to cramped quarters and malnourishment. It was referred to as the "buying and selling of pigs."
(Melendy, page 13) Hawaii made use of this practice in order to fulfill the great demand of the booming sugar industry. In 1962, the United States congress prohibited American citizens in American vessels from engaging in such activities. However, the laws were easily evaded, and not strictly enforced.

American Business man knew they needed a

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