Chinese Immigrants and Their Contributions to the US Work Force
The United States of America is a country that has thrived economically with the help of different immigrant groups. One of these groups are the Chinese immigrants that came to the US during the late 19th century, specifically during the 1870s to the 1920s. According to the Library of Congress, the Chinese were mainly males who started immigrating to the US in the 1850s.[2] They were allured by the hopes of jobs until they were excluded completely in 1882. Although the Chinese were not welcomed, they stimulated the economy with their labor by working on the railroads, by working on farms as migrant laborers, and by opening up restaurants and laundries as well as other shops. Through the aid of Chinese immigrant workers, the US thrived with the creation of national markets made possible by the railroads and by their contributions to the agricultural field.
Chinese immigrants first poured into the United States in the 1850s in hopes of making money and returning to their homeland. Pull factors that caused Chinese males to come to the United States were to take part in the mining of the California gold fields and a desire to make money. Push factors that drove them away from China were the Chinese Opium War from 1840 and British Imperialism in 1842.[3] The influx of Chinese immigrants was the largest during this period as they were later excluded entirely from entering the States. Afterwards, the Chinese contributed to several other industrial and agricultural fields.
During the 1860s the US began the construction of the transcontinental railroad through private investments and through land grants given to two railroad companies completing about 1,800 miles of track.[4] Both of these companies mainly employed Chinese laborers. The reason the Chinese were used in large numbers is because companies incurred less costs in comparison to white or native laborers and they were a more dependable labor force. Besides this the Chinese were also hired when white laborers would refuse to work or attempt to go on strike such as Charles Crocker, a construction director did. The Chinese were often subject to low skill positions and extreme conditions working much more than white laborers. The Chinese also faced lower wages and they had to pay for their room and board as well as food unlike white laborers.[5] According to Scott Alan Carson, 90% of the laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad Company were Chinese.[6] With the completion of the railroads the US gave rise to national markets for several goods and also made it possible for many areas to be used for commercial farming. The railroads allowed for the transportation and distribution of goods in large numbers such as mail-order forms, clothing, farm equipment, packaged foods as well as other goods.[7]
Not only did the Chinese contribute to the American economy by constructing railroads, but also by working in the agricultural fields in California. Farms in California differed from traditional family owned farms in the South because the farms were owned by large agricultural enterprises. For example, the Southern Pacific Railroad owned large California farms. These enterprises continued to use the Chinese as a labor force because corporate land owners were aware of their dependability and agricultural skills. Chinese laborers did not own farms because they were not allowed to, instead they were a migrant labor force. The Chinese made up about eight to twenty percent of the workers on many California farms.[8] The corporate farms contributed to the national and international economy because they reduced the amount of family farmers. By doing so, corporate owners monopolized the agricultural field with the help of the Chinese, a cheap and stable work force.
The Chinese also contributed to the economy of the US as entrepreneurs in the service trades by opening up laundries, restaurants, and cigar shops mainly in their China-towns. During the 1870s the Chinese found employment in many areas that were believed to be “woman's work.”[9] The Chinese often took these jobs for lower wages which other white workers would refuse. This inevitably created hostility from the white labor force towards the Chinese. Also the Chinese who were opening up their own laundries were creating competition against their white counterparts which explains the animosity white laundrymen felt towards them. According to Joan Wang, white laundrymen differentiated themselves from Chinese laundrymen because they utilized machinery and technology making their work masculine. On the other hand, Wang states that white laundrymen claimed that the Chinese used uncivilized and feminine methods in their businesses.[10] White laundrymen decided to change the perceived gender roles of the Chinese men because the Chinese laundries posed a threat to their own.
Even though Chinese immigrants contributed in many ways and in several sectors to the American economy, they were still a target. The fact that the Chinese were viewed as a threat and were eventually excluded shows that they helped boost the US economy. The Chinese did this by providing a dependable workforce for a cheaper rate and by creating competition in the service sector. The Chinese were without a doubt a contributing factor to the success and development of the US at the time although most Americans might not have agreed.
Chinese immigrants first poured into the United States in the 1850s in hopes of making money and returning to their homeland. Pull factors that caused Chinese males to come to the United States were to take part in the mining of the California gold fields and a desire to make money. Push factors that drove them away from China were the Chinese Opium War from 1840 and British Imperialism in 1842.[3] The influx of Chinese immigrants was the largest during this period as they were later excluded entirely from entering the States. Afterwards, the Chinese contributed to several other industrial and agricultural fields.
During the 1860s the US began the construction of the transcontinental railroad through private investments and through land grants given to two railroad companies completing about 1,800 miles of track.[4] Both of these companies mainly employed Chinese laborers. The reason the Chinese were used in large numbers is because companies incurred less costs in comparison to white or native laborers and they were a more dependable labor force. Besides this the Chinese were also hired when white laborers would refuse to work or attempt to go on strike such as Charles Crocker, a construction director did. The Chinese were often subject to low skill positions and extreme conditions working much more than white laborers. The Chinese also faced lower wages and they had to pay for their room and board as well as food unlike white laborers.[5] According to Scott Alan Carson, 90% of the laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad Company were Chinese.[6] With the completion of the railroads the US gave rise to national markets for several goods and also made it possible for many areas to be used for commercial farming. The railroads allowed for the transportation and distribution of goods in large numbers such as mail-order forms, clothing, farm equipment, packaged foods as well as other goods.[7]
Not only did the Chinese contribute to the American economy by constructing railroads, but also by working in the agricultural fields in California. Farms in California differed from traditional family owned farms in the South because the farms were owned by large agricultural enterprises. For example, the Southern Pacific Railroad owned large California farms. These enterprises continued to use the Chinese as a labor force because corporate land owners were aware of their dependability and agricultural skills. Chinese laborers did not own farms because they were not allowed to, instead they were a migrant labor force. The Chinese made up about eight to twenty percent of the workers on many California farms.[8] The corporate farms contributed to the national and international economy because they reduced the amount of family farmers. By doing so, corporate owners monopolized the agricultural field with the help of the Chinese, a cheap and stable work force.
The Chinese also contributed to the economy of the US as entrepreneurs in the service trades by opening up laundries, restaurants, and cigar shops mainly in their China-towns. During the 1870s the Chinese found employment in many areas that were believed to be “woman's work.”[9] The Chinese often took these jobs for lower wages which other white workers would refuse. This inevitably created hostility from the white labor force towards the Chinese. Also the Chinese who were opening up their own laundries were creating competition against their white counterparts which explains the animosity white laundrymen felt towards them. According to Joan Wang, white laundrymen differentiated themselves from Chinese laundrymen because they utilized machinery and technology making their work masculine. On the other hand, Wang states that white laundrymen claimed that the Chinese used uncivilized and feminine methods in their businesses.[10] White laundrymen decided to change the perceived gender roles of the Chinese men because the Chinese laundries posed a threat to their own.
Even though Chinese immigrants contributed in many ways and in several sectors to the American economy, they were still a target. The fact that the Chinese were viewed as a threat and were eventually excluded shows that they helped boost the US economy. The Chinese did this by providing a dependable workforce for a cheaper rate and by creating competition in the service sector. The Chinese were without a doubt a contributing factor to the success and development of the US at the time although most Americans might not have agreed.
1. “Immigration: The Chinese,” ThinkQuest, accessed February 25, 2014, http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Chinese.html.“Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900,” Library of Congress, accessed February 17, 2014,
2. “Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900,” Library of Congress, accessed February 17, 2014,
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/chinimms/
3. Scott Alan Carson, “Chinese Sojourn Labor and the American Transcontinental Railroad,” Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE) / Zeitschrift Für Die Gesamte Staatswissenschaft (2005): 161, no. 1: 86.
4. Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History, 3rd ed. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012), 478.
5. Carson, 84.
6. Carson, 83.
7. Foner, 478.
8. Carson, 84.
9. James Zarsadiaz, “Chinese Chicago: Race, Transnational Migration, and Community Since 1870,” Journal of Asian American Studies(2013): 16, no. 3: 343.
10. Joan Wang, “Gender, Race and Civilization: The Competition Between American Power Laundries and Chinese Steam Laundries, 1870s – 1920s,” American Studies International (2002): 40, no. 1: 56-57.
11. “Chinese Immigrants in the United States,” Latin American Studies, accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/chinese-immigrants.htm.
2. “Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900,” Library of Congress, accessed February 17, 2014,
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/chinimms/
3. Scott Alan Carson, “Chinese Sojourn Labor and the American Transcontinental Railroad,” Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE) / Zeitschrift Für Die Gesamte Staatswissenschaft (2005): 161, no. 1: 86.
4. Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History, 3rd ed. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012), 478.
5. Carson, 84.
6. Carson, 83.
7. Foner, 478.
8. Carson, 84.
9. James Zarsadiaz, “Chinese Chicago: Race, Transnational Migration, and Community Since 1870,” Journal of Asian American Studies(2013): 16, no. 3: 343.
10. Joan Wang, “Gender, Race and Civilization: The Competition Between American Power Laundries and Chinese Steam Laundries, 1870s – 1920s,” American Studies International (2002): 40, no. 1: 56-57.
11. “Chinese Immigrants in the United States,” Latin American Studies, accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/chinese-immigrants.htm.