Houston Community News >> Chinese Immigration to the States
7/15/2007-- Motives for Chinese
population to immigrate to United States have been same as for most other
immigrants. Many immigrants shifted to United States to for the gold rush, while
others came to seek better economic opportunities. Many others were forced to
leave China as either refugees or contract workers.
Chinese immigration began decades ago and was divided into three periods:
1849-1882, 1882-1965, and 1965 to the present. The first period started very
shortly after the California Gold Rush and ended unexpectedly with Chinese
Exclusion Act of 1882. Through this period, many young male peasants left their
villages and became laborers in the western part of America.
These peasants were recruited to extract metals and minerals, retrieve
swamplands, construct railway networks, develop the fishing industry, and work
for extremely competitive manufacturing industries. Chinese population at the
end of the first period was approximately 110,000 in United States.
Economic development and racial prohibition characterized the pattern of
settlement for Chinese Americans. Manner of settlement was influenced by the
pattern of economic development in the western states that took place before the
Chinese Exclusion Act. Chinese immigrants resided in most parts of California
while others settled in the states west of Rocky Mountains.
Though most Chinese immigrants faced many hardships in the late nineteenth
century, they had an immense effect on America. Language, culture, social
institutions, and customs came along with these Chinese immigrants. These
immigrants tried to become a vibrant part of the population of United States and
contributed a lot towards their adopted country.
Chinese workers have played an important role in supplying the labor force for
the growing industry of America. They converted most of the land they lived in
into rich green farmland. Chinese methods of cultivation were applied on most
farms. Approximately eighty percent of Chinese population was found in
Chinatowns, which were situated in all major cities in United States in the
early twentieth century.
(Contributed by Immigration provides detailed information on Immigration, Immigration Lawyers, Canadian Immigration, Immigration Attornies and more. Immigration is affiliated with Canada Immigration Lawyers.)