CHINESE IMMIGRATION

Angel's Island

This photo was taken when Chinese immigrated to the United States {San Francisco}. Sometime between 1850-1882 when the Exclusion Act didn't exist. At the time, Immigration was not illegal. In the photo they are going through inspection and the immigration "process". They went to Angel's Island because it was very isolated, and they formed their own community there. They were attracted to U.S. because the average jobs here in U.S. paid 10 times more than in China. They were all very frightened because the punishment of leaving China, is being decapitated.

When the Chinese came to America, many in search of a job, began to be hired by white men who needed minors for the gold rush. They mined all day and all night, but they had gotten there too late for the jackpots. Although they earned a descent amount, their wage was less than half of the value in gold they found. On the very top, are some Chinese workers that just arrived to America but were hired to work on the railroads, and below that is a Chinese mining during the Gold Rush. The Chinese took jobs the White men use to have; because the Chinese didn't ask for much money, and worked very hard. While building the railroad, the white workers threatened to strike, demanding for more pay. The men who were in charge, told the white workers if the strike went on they would fire them, and replace them with Chinese workers, who didn't demand as much money. The strike did go on, and they did replace them. This is an example of why the White people despised the Chinese so much.

EXCLUSION ACT-1882





In 1882, a federal law called "The Exclusion Act" was passed. This law prohibited Chinese to immigration to U.S. It was the first restriction on immigration in U.S. It froze the Chinese population that was growing at a very fast rate. Since it was mostly only men who had immigrated, the sex ratio was at a very un-proportional number. There were 27:1. 27 being men, and 1 being women. Old men outnumbered the young.


Illegal Immigration


Because of the outrageously un-proportional sex ratio, the Chinese would not be able to keep generations going in United States. They wanted to keep their families going, and thats how the Illegal Immigration started. After the Exclusion Act was passed, nobody could immigrate over anymore. So they had to do it illegally. Mostly woman and children came over, to re-connect with their families; and to keep generations going. The Chinese invented a commonly used fraud known as "Paper Sons" or "Paper Daughters". It was legal then, to immigrate if you had a father already living in U.S. Children came, and pretended that the legal citizens were their own fathers, letting them in. Until 1920, Women didn't have separate citizenship from their husbands or fathers. So, women came into as "Paper daughters"


Afterwards

During World War 2, Chinese and America were allies. So, America began to like the Chinese, and didn't treat them so poorly. The druggy, crime area that was called Chinatown, turned into a quiet colorful tourist attraction.








By Izzy Jones & Sophie Rogers
Deborah's Team