ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Introduction to First-Wave Immigration

Takaki’s Key ArgumentChinese – first group of Asians to enter U.S. in significant flow of immigrationWhat happens to Chinese in mid- and late-1800s represented a pattern for the ways other Asian immigrant groups would be viewed and treated in the U.S.

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Population TrendsLet’s look at number. . . What do you notice?

Geography1870 24% Ch in CA live in SF, rest in rural areas1900 45% Ch in CA live in SF Bay Area, 2/3 in urban

areas

1870-1900 Occupational/Class Background

Chinese in SF/Sacramento

40% businessmen (merchants & shopkeepers)

5-12% professionals, artisans50% wage workers

Chinese in rural areas

15% farmers, labor contractors, merchants>80% service workers, farm laborers

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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What is the story of Chinese immigrants that Takaki tells?

Initially welcomed: Invited to CA’s admittance to union in 1850 (p. 80) Invited to SF celebration of GW’s b-day 1852 (p.

81) An auspicious beginning in the U.S.

But things begin to change . . . Nativist cries of “California for Americans!”

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Chinese in California Gold Mining

1860s 24,000 Chinese in CA mines, most are independent prospectors

American white miners demand elimination of competition of foreign miners (French, Mexican, Hawaiian, Chilean) Chinese -- “Asiatic races,” their “customs, language, and education” threaten well-being of mining districts

CA governor voices support for prohibition of Chinese into CA

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Anti-Chinese Prejudice Institutionalized into Law 1852 Foreign Miner’s License Tax ($3/month)

Chinese not named, but targeted 1790 Naturalization Law Voided by Civil Rights Act of 1870 (CA collected $5

million)

1855 Landing Tax ($50/person) Entitled “An Act to Discourage the Immigration to this

State of Persons Who Cannot Become Citizens Thereof’

1863 Capitation Tax ($2.50/month) Designed to “protect Free White Labor against

competition with Chinese Coolie Labor, and to Discourage the Immigration of the Chinese into the State of CA”

Exempted businessmen, licensed miners

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Chinese Enter Dual-Wage Economy

Chinese move from gold mines during mid-1860s railroad construction (1865-1869) manufacturing (SF) agriculture self-employment

Chinese move from independent prospectors wage workers

Employed within industrial capitalist economy Find selves paid less than American white counterparts Enter a dual-wage economy

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Dual-Wage Economies1860 24,000 Chinese miners (2/3 of Chinese in U.S.)

2,700 Chinese in SF (7.8% of Chinese in CA)1867 12,000 Chinese employed by CP RR (90% of workforce)

1870 16,000 Chinese miners (1/3 of Chinese in U.S.)12,000 in SF (1/4 of Chinese in CA)18% CA farm laborers are Chinese2,899 Chinese laundry workers (72% of laundry workers in

CA)

1880 86% Sacramento County, 55% Santa Clara County farm laborers are Chinese

1890 6,400 Chinese laundry workers (69% of laundry workers in CA)

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Who Does a Dual-Wage Economy Benefit?

Employers pay Chinese less than white counterpartsEmployers use Chinese to break labor strikes by American white workersEmployers contribute to “ethnic antagonism” between Chinese and white workers

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Anti-Chinese Ideology and Institutional Policy

Takaki asks: How could this happen? How could

Chinese be kept in this position? How could such racial discrimination happened and endure?And what was America to do with the Chinese immigrants?

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Anti-Chinese Ideology and Institutional Policy

Takaki argues:

Presence of Chinese challenged dominant American ideas of the nation as a racially homogeneous societyChinese were not considered “American” but a threat to AmericaChinese were deemed not just different, but inferior (as were Nat Am, Af Am)

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Anti-Chinese Ideology and Institutional Policy

Takaki argues:

Chinese were considered unassimilable – too different and inferiorChinese were incorporated into U.S. economy, but were not welcomed into its political and cultural body

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Anti-Chinese Ideology and Institutional Policy

Takaki argues:

Anti-Chinese ideology more than just attitudes, including laws and public policy

EX: 1854 Supreme Court (People v. Hall) rules that Chinese cannot testify as a witness for or against whites in a court of law

EX: 1790 Naturalization Law denies Chinese immigrants right to become U.S. citizens

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Anti-Chinese Sentiments and Chinese Exclusion

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act – excludes entrance of Chinese

laborers for 10 yrs

1888 restriction includes “all persons of the Chinese race” (except officials, teachers, students, tourists, merchants)

1892 renewed1902 extended indefinitely

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Chinese ResponseTakaki asks:

But how did the Chinese immigrants react to what was happening to them? How were they active makers of history too?

How did they feel about their own experiences and what they do?

ICS 20 Week 3 -- Chinese Immigration

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Chinese ResponseMany Chinese immigrants questioned and protested what was

going on.

Criticism of anti-Chinese messagesEX: 1852 Norman Asing’s letter to CA Governor

Challenges in courts to fight for legal rights and equal protectionEX: 1862 Ling Sing sues SF tax collector

Efforts to find loopholes around restrictions and anti-Chinese laws