What reasons did Americans have for excluding Chinese Immigrants?
"Chinese must go." Dennis Kearney, an Irish immigrant, ends his many speeches with this line. He was one of many that wanted nothing more than to see Chinese immigrants gone. This was a cry from not just him, but also residents of Western America that had an issue with Chinese immigrants settling in their areas. Americans did not accept Chinese immigrants, and they did not give the Chinese a chance to befriend them. During the 1870s until the 1920s, Americans attempted to push the Chinese out of the states they were immigrating into since Americans did not accept them.
Chinese families economically struggled in the late nineteenth century, and to save themselves they searched for work in the United States. Large numbers of Chinese traveled to the United States in search of labor. Chinesemen found work in the agricultural and fishing industries, while others became laundrymen, builders of railroads and miners for gold.[2] The number of Chinesemen was increasing and the opportunities of white laborers were decreasing in California.[3] This is one explanation why Americans did not want Chinese laborers to immigrate. Americans complained that Chinese laborers stole their work because the Chinese worked for less pay. Lee Chew told his life story of growing up in the early 1900s and how he really struggled to make a living in America, specifically in California.[4] He explains the harsh treatment he endured from white men as a consequence for accepting labor from bosses that would not "hire an Irishman, German, Englishman or Italian when he could get a Chinese" for cheaper.[5] Some white men accepted Chinese immigrants, but others such as Dennis Kearney did not. Kearney was the leader of California's Workingmen's party in California in the late 1870s and he desired for men to "live like men in this free land, without the contamination of slave labor."[6] His many speeches argued that "these cheap slaves fill every place" leaving little labor for white men to do at a satisfying wage.[7] Kearney along with many other Americans did their best to drive Chinese immigrants out, they devoted a lot of time to make Chinese immigrants feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, and excluded for working in the United States.
In addition, Chinese immigrants angered Americans for not living up to the American dream. Kearney gives an example of how Chinese did the opposite of assimilating into America. He attested that the Chinese were "imported by companies…worked like slaves, and at last [would] go back to China with all their earnings."[9] Chinese laborers committed these acts and Kearney was not the only one to notice. Students from Yale and Harvard also accused Chinesemen of immigrating only to make money and then take it back to China, which they concluded, "sacrifices the welfare of the country."[10] The students realized that in order to protect their institutions and economy, it would be best to exclude Chinese from immigrating if they only came to act as “social parasites.”[11] Americans, Filipinos, Italians and many others continued to argue and riot against the settlement of Chinese immigrants, until the United States decided to do something for their misguided intentions. In a response to the accusations made against Chinese laborers, Chew responded by asking them how it was possible for Chinese immigrants to call themselves Americans when they did not feel welcomed and were unequally paid.[12] In addition, Congress in 1875 excluded “women from entering the country” including “wives and daughters of arriving men and those already in the country.”[13] As a result of Congress’ actions Chew did not understand why any one would blame Chinesemen for taking their money back to their villages in China.[14] Whether an American, Irishman, German, Englishman or Italian, each one held an issue with Chinese immigrants because they did not plan to stay nor create a permanent home and lifestyle in the United States. Not only did the Americans desire to stop Chinese from continuing to immigrate for not living the American Dream the 'right way,' but also because Americans were ignorant of the positive affect Chinesemen had on the United States.
Families, laborers and leaders were ignorant and fearful of Chinese immigrants. Chinese laborers worked diligently in order to earn their money no matter how little it was. Despite all their hard work though, men such as Dennis Kearney gave speeches that criticized Chinese immigrants and suggested white men incite violence in order to keep California solely white Americans.[15] Kearney was not alone in developing anti-Chinese riots. In 1885, more than ten white men took part in the Rock Springs Massacre and killed twenty-eight Chinese men and wounded fifteen.[16] Not only did the white group of men destroy "Chinatown" but they also chased the Chinese out of town and destroyed everything they owned leaving Chinese immigrants with nothing to call home.[17] Furthermore, Chinese immigrants lost everything they earned, but continued to work because they were determined. Americans did not appreciate the hard labor and loyalty of Chinese laborers nor did they realize the positive affect they had on America. As a result of the ignorance and discrimination of Americans toward Chinese immigrants, America lost an opportunity to fully thrive in the same types of businesses that were successful for the Chinese.
During the 1870s through the 1920s the flow of Chinese immigration to the United States slowed down because of the actions Americans took. Chinese immigrants struggled to find labor peacefully, since they constantly had Americans attempting to remove them from the states. Americans became obsessed with creating laws on top of laws to exclude and prevent Chinese from immigrating. The Chinese, however, just as determined as Americans did not let unequal wages or discrimination stop them from making money to find a better life. It was evident that Americans did not want Chinese immigrants in Western America, yet Chinese laborers continued to help America succeed and flourish. Chinese immigrants never quit being loyal nor did they back down from trying to become legal citizens nor did the “go” as Dennis Kearney wanted.
Chinese families economically struggled in the late nineteenth century, and to save themselves they searched for work in the United States. Large numbers of Chinese traveled to the United States in search of labor. Chinesemen found work in the agricultural and fishing industries, while others became laundrymen, builders of railroads and miners for gold.[2] The number of Chinesemen was increasing and the opportunities of white laborers were decreasing in California.[3] This is one explanation why Americans did not want Chinese laborers to immigrate. Americans complained that Chinese laborers stole their work because the Chinese worked for less pay. Lee Chew told his life story of growing up in the early 1900s and how he really struggled to make a living in America, specifically in California.[4] He explains the harsh treatment he endured from white men as a consequence for accepting labor from bosses that would not "hire an Irishman, German, Englishman or Italian when he could get a Chinese" for cheaper.[5] Some white men accepted Chinese immigrants, but others such as Dennis Kearney did not. Kearney was the leader of California's Workingmen's party in California in the late 1870s and he desired for men to "live like men in this free land, without the contamination of slave labor."[6] His many speeches argued that "these cheap slaves fill every place" leaving little labor for white men to do at a satisfying wage.[7] Kearney along with many other Americans did their best to drive Chinese immigrants out, they devoted a lot of time to make Chinese immigrants feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, and excluded for working in the United States.
In addition, Chinese immigrants angered Americans for not living up to the American dream. Kearney gives an example of how Chinese did the opposite of assimilating into America. He attested that the Chinese were "imported by companies…worked like slaves, and at last [would] go back to China with all their earnings."[9] Chinese laborers committed these acts and Kearney was not the only one to notice. Students from Yale and Harvard also accused Chinesemen of immigrating only to make money and then take it back to China, which they concluded, "sacrifices the welfare of the country."[10] The students realized that in order to protect their institutions and economy, it would be best to exclude Chinese from immigrating if they only came to act as “social parasites.”[11] Americans, Filipinos, Italians and many others continued to argue and riot against the settlement of Chinese immigrants, until the United States decided to do something for their misguided intentions. In a response to the accusations made against Chinese laborers, Chew responded by asking them how it was possible for Chinese immigrants to call themselves Americans when they did not feel welcomed and were unequally paid.[12] In addition, Congress in 1875 excluded “women from entering the country” including “wives and daughters of arriving men and those already in the country.”[13] As a result of Congress’ actions Chew did not understand why any one would blame Chinesemen for taking their money back to their villages in China.[14] Whether an American, Irishman, German, Englishman or Italian, each one held an issue with Chinese immigrants because they did not plan to stay nor create a permanent home and lifestyle in the United States. Not only did the Americans desire to stop Chinese from continuing to immigrate for not living the American Dream the 'right way,' but also because Americans were ignorant of the positive affect Chinesemen had on the United States.
Families, laborers and leaders were ignorant and fearful of Chinese immigrants. Chinese laborers worked diligently in order to earn their money no matter how little it was. Despite all their hard work though, men such as Dennis Kearney gave speeches that criticized Chinese immigrants and suggested white men incite violence in order to keep California solely white Americans.[15] Kearney was not alone in developing anti-Chinese riots. In 1885, more than ten white men took part in the Rock Springs Massacre and killed twenty-eight Chinese men and wounded fifteen.[16] Not only did the white group of men destroy "Chinatown" but they also chased the Chinese out of town and destroyed everything they owned leaving Chinese immigrants with nothing to call home.[17] Furthermore, Chinese immigrants lost everything they earned, but continued to work because they were determined. Americans did not appreciate the hard labor and loyalty of Chinese laborers nor did they realize the positive affect they had on America. As a result of the ignorance and discrimination of Americans toward Chinese immigrants, America lost an opportunity to fully thrive in the same types of businesses that were successful for the Chinese.
During the 1870s through the 1920s the flow of Chinese immigration to the United States slowed down because of the actions Americans took. Chinese immigrants struggled to find labor peacefully, since they constantly had Americans attempting to remove them from the states. Americans became obsessed with creating laws on top of laws to exclude and prevent Chinese from immigrating. The Chinese, however, just as determined as Americans did not let unequal wages or discrimination stop them from making money to find a better life. It was evident that Americans did not want Chinese immigrants in Western America, yet Chinese laborers continued to help America succeed and flourish. Chinese immigrants never quit being loyal nor did they back down from trying to become legal citizens nor did the “go” as Dennis Kearney wanted.
[1] Michele Walfred, "“THE CHINESE MUST GO, BUT WHO KEEPS THEM?” – 11 MAY 1878," Illustrating Chinese Exclusion (blog), February 14, 2014, http://thomasnastcartoons.com/2014/02/14/the-cinese-must-go-but-who-keeps-them-11-may-1878/.
[2] "Harvard Wins Debate," Yale Daily News, no. 173 (1902): 1,
http://digital.library.yale.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/yale-ydn/id/85339/rec/1 (accessed February 13, 2014).
[3] Davis Horace, "Chinese Cheap Labor," Scrapbooks on Chinese Immigration (1877
1893): 12, http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/flipomatic/cic/brk208 (accessed February 13, 2014).
[4] Lee Chew, Digital History, "The Biography of a Chinaman," Last modified 2013,
Accessed February 13, 2014, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm? smtID=3&psid=3650.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Davis Kearney, History Matters, "Our Misery and Despair: Kearney
Blasts Chinese Immigration," Accessed February 13, 2014, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5046/.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Michele Walfred, "“HERE’S A PRETTY MESS!” (IN WYOMING) – 19 SEPTEMBER 1885," Illustrating Chinese Exclusion (blog), February 22, 2014, http://thomasnastcartoons.com/?s=rock springs.
[9] Ibid.
[10] “Harvard Wins Debate,” 1
[11] Ibid.
[12] Lee Chew, "The Biography of a Chinaman.”
[13] Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty!, (New York: W.W. Norton, 2012), 651.
[14] Lee Chew, "The Biography of a Chinaman.”
[15] Dennis Kearney, "Our Misery and Despair.”
[16] Digital History, "Chinese Miners Describe the Rock Springs Massacre," Last
modified 2013, Accessed February 13, 2014, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=29
[17] Ibid.
[2] "Harvard Wins Debate," Yale Daily News, no. 173 (1902): 1,
http://digital.library.yale.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/yale-ydn/id/85339/rec/1 (accessed February 13, 2014).
[3] Davis Horace, "Chinese Cheap Labor," Scrapbooks on Chinese Immigration (1877
1893): 12, http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/flipomatic/cic/brk208 (accessed February 13, 2014).
[4] Lee Chew, Digital History, "The Biography of a Chinaman," Last modified 2013,
Accessed February 13, 2014, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm? smtID=3&psid=3650.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Davis Kearney, History Matters, "Our Misery and Despair: Kearney
Blasts Chinese Immigration," Accessed February 13, 2014, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5046/.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Michele Walfred, "“HERE’S A PRETTY MESS!” (IN WYOMING) – 19 SEPTEMBER 1885," Illustrating Chinese Exclusion (blog), February 22, 2014, http://thomasnastcartoons.com/?s=rock springs.
[9] Ibid.
[10] “Harvard Wins Debate,” 1
[11] Ibid.
[12] Lee Chew, "The Biography of a Chinaman.”
[13] Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty!, (New York: W.W. Norton, 2012), 651.
[14] Lee Chew, "The Biography of a Chinaman.”
[15] Dennis Kearney, "Our Misery and Despair.”
[16] Digital History, "Chinese Miners Describe the Rock Springs Massacre," Last
modified 2013, Accessed February 13, 2014, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=29
[17] Ibid.