During the years 1870 and 1920, the United States had witnessed an enormous change in population associated with the increasing numbers of immigrants coming into the country. At the beginning of this time, the number of Chinese immigrants had risen drastically due to the likelihood of their potential success they were able to obtain living in the United States. The California Gold Rush had been one of the starting primary reasons why these individuals chose to migrate away from their home country.i Both men and women took advantage of this opportunity and began moving into the United States in order to save their families and themselves from the low income they received while living in China.ii Although men did have to go through hardships and struggles while committing to their hard labor, women had also began facing obstacles on the road of getting their education and work qualifications while making sure they were treated properly and not abused to do things they did not want to. Down the road leading up to 1882, the United States established the Chinese Exclusion Act which targeted chinese individuals by preventing them from moving into the United States for ten years.iii This act enforced restrictions towards the Chinese due to the overwhelming response of the economic concerns that many US citizens had towards the raise of unemployment happening in the country.iv Chinese individuals began facing obstacles and had to begin creating different plans with a sense of urgency. Throughout these forty years immigration was seen as a problem in the United States and Chinese individuals began encountering a wall of obstruction in order to achieve and succeed.
iLeo, Luo. "The History of Chinese Immigration to the U.S.." Last modified 02 24, 2014. Accessed February 24, 2014. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sford/alternatv/s05/articles/leo_history.html.
iiLeo, Luo. "The History of Chinese Immigration to the U.S..”
iii"Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)." Accessed February 24, 2014. http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=47.
iv"Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts." Accessed February 24, 2014. http://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration.
v Wasp Publishing Company, "Immigration East and West", - 7 December 1882, "The Wasp", February 22, 2014, http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/cic:@field(NUMBER+@lit(brk1486))
iiLeo, Luo. "The History of Chinese Immigration to the U.S..”
iii"Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)." Accessed February 24, 2014. http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=47.
iv"Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts." Accessed February 24, 2014. http://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration.
v Wasp Publishing Company, "Immigration East and West", - 7 December 1882, "The Wasp", February 22, 2014, http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/cic:@field(NUMBER+@lit(brk1486))
Created by: Jessica Flores, Jeffrey Recinos, Malik Rogers, Rejeana Black, Patricia Martinez, Jazmine Medina