Sucheng Chans 1840s To 1930s Analysis

Many groups came to California after it became a part of the United States to move West for farming, and to be a part of the Gold Rush in 1849. One of the groups to leave a lasting effect in California, and the whole United States, was the Chinese. The Chinese people made their way to America the same way the Europeans did- by showing up. However, their arrival did not assure them a friendly welcome. In one essay, Sucheng Chan discussed detailed key aspects in understanding the persecution of the Chinese- being the main group among other Asian immigrants- and through what means that oppression occurred. In Sucheng Chan's essay, Immigration and Livelihood, 1840s to 1930s, the major focus came in the detailed economic, social, and political strife of Asian immigrants during that time period. Chan encompassed on their accomplishments that went unnoticed, the jobs they held, and how they were treated in order to ensure a better understanding the history of Asian immigrants in the United States while legal discrimination was still permissible in the United States. Though Chan discussed in his essay the other Asian nationalities, that of the Japanese and Filipino people, he explained how their experiences followed suit of the Chinese.

Background …show more content…
With thoughts of gold rivers in sight, weaker minority groups were subject to anything when excavating gold in the same working conditions, and earning the same amount as the entitled race at the time: the White race. In this era, slavery was still a highly regarded market for labor, there was an ongoing struggle between the North and the South over the survival of the inhumane entity, and many people went westward in search of new life. Though two or three decades had passed before subject to oppression, California was a new frontier for the newly settled