Sparked by poverty and overpopulation in their homelands, Chinese immigration to the west coast of the United States began in the early 1850s. Due to the labor shortage during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, a great influx of Chinese immigrants dominated the working class and employment in California. As Chinese presence increased, immigrants began to face strong prejudice and increasingly restrictive laws that limited their options. Many of the working class in California began to blame the Chinese immigrants for their unemployment rates. One of the most influential leaders against the Chinese immigrants was Denis Kearney, who rapidly gained support through his weekly meetings expressing his discontent with the Chinese laborers.
