The United States is often described as a “Melting Pot.” 20,000 years ago people began traveling to the Americas from the Beijing Straits. Since the early days of naval exploration, people have been colonizing the land and forming communities with people of similar nationality and culture. The Spanish, English, Dutch, French and Swedish all established small colonies that would one day grow and attract other cultures. African Slaves were brought into Jamestown in 1619. Later, Irish, Chinese, and Eastern European immigrants came searching for new opportunities and freedom. All these waves of new cultures were bound to come with tension and difficulty assimilating into the “American” way of life. The early explorers of the 16th and 17th century
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These immigrants were instrumental in the building of railroads throughout the country. Hostility towards the Chinese was prevalent in every level of society, and it became so bad that in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, the first limitation on immigration in US history. It suspended Chinese Immigration entirely for the next ten years, but was later revised and made permanent, though it was repealed in 1943. Laws similar to Jim Crow laws were put in place preventing Chinese from doing things like marrying caucasians and owning land. They were also unable to earn citizenship. Acts were put in place after World War II that restored original rights to Chinese Americans. Japanese faced much of the same discrimination as the Chinese, and were affected by many of the same laws. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, racism against Japanese increased exponentially. Thousands of Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps. In 1988, an apology and $20,000 was given to all survivors of these work …show more content…
While we now worry about Mexican immigration to the United States, in 1830, Mexico forbade emigration to Texas. However, in 1836, Mexico formally agreed to give Texas independance, and it was soon annexed into the United states during the era of Manifest Destiny. Relationships took a turn for the worst in 1846, when, after Mexico refused James Polk’s proposal to make the Rio Grande the country border, the United States invaded, thus beginning the Mexican-American war. The war was short, and ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo two years later. Mexico lost a lot of land, that then became part of the United States. The landowners that lived in what is now parts of modern day California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada were ensured protection, but were forced out with the onset of the Gold Rush. The last border adjustment came with the Gadsden Purchase, and ended the dispute over border placement. Along with the previously Mexican citizens’ forced integration into the United States, many came quite willingly. Building the railroad required many workers, and attracted many immigrant groups besides the Chinese. The level of people in the workforce building the railroad was suffering after the Chinese Exclusion Act, and Mexico became a convenient place from which to recruit workers. The turmoil of the Mexican Revolution also prompted a large wave of Mexican immigrants between 1910 and
These immigrants were instrumental in the building of railroads throughout the country. Hostility towards the Chinese was prevalent in every level of society, and it became so bad that in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, the first limitation on immigration in US history. It suspended Chinese Immigration entirely for the next ten years, but was later revised and made permanent, though it was repealed in 1943. Laws similar to Jim Crow laws were put in place preventing Chinese from doing things like marrying caucasians and owning land. They were also unable to earn citizenship. Acts were put in place after World War II that restored original rights to Chinese Americans. Japanese faced much of the same discrimination as the Chinese, and were affected by many of the same laws. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, racism against Japanese increased exponentially. Thousands of Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps. In 1988, an apology and $20,000 was given to all survivors of these work …show more content…
While we now worry about Mexican immigration to the United States, in 1830, Mexico forbade emigration to Texas. However, in 1836, Mexico formally agreed to give Texas independance, and it was soon annexed into the United states during the era of Manifest Destiny. Relationships took a turn for the worst in 1846, when, after Mexico refused James Polk’s proposal to make the Rio Grande the country border, the United States invaded, thus beginning the Mexican-American war. The war was short, and ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo two years later. Mexico lost a lot of land, that then became part of the United States. The landowners that lived in what is now parts of modern day California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada were ensured protection, but were forced out with the onset of the Gold Rush. The last border adjustment came with the Gadsden Purchase, and ended the dispute over border placement. Along with the previously Mexican citizens’ forced integration into the United States, many came quite willingly. Building the railroad required many workers, and attracted many immigrant groups besides the Chinese. The level of people in the workforce building the railroad was suffering after the Chinese Exclusion Act, and Mexico became a convenient place from which to recruit workers. The turmoil of the Mexican Revolution also prompted a large wave of Mexican immigrants between 1910 and