History of Chinese Immigration

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The discrimination against Americans changed after the Chinese became allies with the US. The United States Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act, lifted restrictions on the Naturalization Act and allowed Chinese to be considered as American citizens. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the act because China joined the Allied Powers during WWII. The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed mainly for political reasons rather than for human rights reasons. The purpose was to smooth relations between the U.S. and China. In 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act was passed and ended the Asian exclusion from immigrating to the United States. This act introduced a system of preferences based on skill sets and family reunification. It also eliminated laws preventing Asians from becoming naturalized American citizens. Lastly the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 was passed allowed more immigrants to enter the country. This act eliminated the old quota system. As a result, the Chinese-American population doubled and by the end of the decade, there were over 400,000 Chinese immigrants.

Since their arrival in the US, the Chinese immigrants impacted the nation politically, socially, and culturally. The Chinese filed over 10,000 lawsuits against challenging laws and practices that were designed to harass and oppress them. They argued that the Constitution should offer protection should all the people in America, not merely its citizens. Chinese communities, known as Chinatowns, were formed wherever economic opportunities presented themselves including railroad towns, farming villages, and cities. Chinese in these settlements spoke their own language, enjoyed the fellowship of their own people, and sought safety from discrimination and violence. Over eighty percent of the Chinese population was found in Chinatowns in major cities in the United States. They settled mostly in California and states west of the Rocky Mountains. They continued to grow as the largest Asian community in the states. They also provided a quarter of California's labor force. Their labor was sought after mainly because they supplied cheap labor. Many workers were not required to speak English, nor provide proof of legal status. The Chinese immigrants were satisfied with their jobs because they received a higher wage in the states than their home village. For example, a construction worker earning $10.00 per hour can earn more in a week than the average yearly income of a person in his home village. Some of the Chinese cultural impact included art, religion, food, and even holidays. They introduced making Chinese ceramics and writing calligraphy on hand scrolls using ink, paper, and silk. They also introduced their religion which is some forms of Buddhism and Taoism. They also worship through their ancestors, folk heroes, animals, or their representations in idols or images, as if they are gods. To these representations they offer respect and ritual offerings, burning incense, ritual papers, and paper objects to help maintain order and bring good luck. Today, American households now routinely use Chinese ingredients such as soy sauce and ginger. They employ cooking techniques, such as stir frying and own Chinese utensils such as chopsticks. Also, Chinese tea was a popular beverage since the eighteenth century in America. The most well-known Chinese holidays that is celebrated in San Francisco is Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck.

The Chinese impact on America has changed the US nation into what it is to today. For Chinese Americans born here in the States, America is home where they have filtered into nearly every region of the country as well as in school, government, job markets, and the arts. Even though they’ve had a difficult history meeting countless of U.S. immigration acts, the Chinese and Chinese-Americans common in American communities are still thriving and growing, as the largest Asian population here, at 3.6 million and counting.

Works Cited

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