Chinese Immigration and Exclusion

Chinese went to the United States in the 1800's. In 1848, however, the Chinese were able to arrive when gold mining was discovered at Sutter's Mill. They were unable to do the work, but found better things to do for themselves and others. Plenty of Chinese workers helped in the building of the first Transcontinental Railroad. After the railroad was built, by mostly the Chinese, they were successful in other jobs they were able to take control of. The Chinese workers were hired to work on the trains, but they had the most dangerous jobs compared to the jobs that the white men had. Not only did the Chinese get the difficult jobs, but they worked for fewer pay than the white men.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibits immigration of Chinese Laborers due to the fact that they were taking over all the jobs that were intended for white men. After the railroad was built, they enforced the act because the Chinese had already done the hard work for the Americans. For the Americans, they thought that the Chinese were a threat and interfering with their jobs, so they did not want to welcome them any longer. The Chinese men are hated by the white men because they are "took" jobs and money away from them. Chinese men were not allowed to take their wives with them because others would think that they were prostitutes. Moreover, the whites were strictly against everything that The Chinese did or tried to do.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed because they were seen as a threat towards the white men.  I believe that the Americans did not need the Chinese people after they had built the railroad because they had done more than enough. The Americans did not want the Chinese to take away their jobs and gain more money than them. The white men were being selfish when it came to the jobs and money that they were supposed to get.