Essay About Chinese Immigration

The migration of Asians to America dates back to the 1600s, and the first Asian immigrants were mostly Chinese. Their first stop in the western hemisphere was not North American, but Central America (Mexico), and they arrived on ships of the Manila Galleon. The Manila Galleons were Spanish trading ships that made round-trip sailing voyages once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean from the port of Acapulco, to Manila in the Philippines, which were both part of New Spain. But, the first large-scale immigration of Asians into the U.S. didn't happen until 1848, around the time gold was discovered in America. The Gold Rush was one of the pull factors that led many Chinese to come to the U.S. to find their fortune and return home rich and wealthy. However, there were also push factors that drove many to want to leave China. The most important factor was economic hardship due to the growing British dominance over China, after Britain defeated China in the Opium War of 1839-1842. Japanese immigration to the U.S. began in 1868, after rapid urbanization and industrialization brought about great social disruption and agricultural decline. Between 1886 and 1911, …show more content…
Newton and Bobby Seale attended. The AAPA organized students around issues related to both university and non-university communities. The AAPA advocated for more Asian-American representation in college administrations, to denounce racist institutional structures, demand new or unattended rights, and assert their cultural and racial distinctiveness. The AAPA emphasized the use of the term “Asian” American (instead of Oriental), to unify and encompass the constituent groups. The AAPA influence eventually spread to other campuses including; San Francisco State, UCLA, and California State University, Long