Chinese Xenophobia Case Study

Summary In 1848 Gold was discovered in stunner hill mine, an abundance of people from various locations wanted to excavate the mine for gold. There were various people that came but, of the races the Chinese caused a shift in the areas cultural and economic environment that the Caucasians residents weren’t used to. This migration of Chinese people to California created animosity within the white American culture slowly over time. The xenophobia displayed from white Americans directed toward the Chinese is how it initially started. The fact that the Chinese were from another location and looked different made white people feel uneasy and perturbed. Then when they realized that the Chinese started monopolizing various necessary industries, various jobs preferred hiring Chinese employees, taking land and space, the question of interracial relationships raised, and upheaval within the economy became an issue, white Americans felt justified in the hate they had toward the Chinese. Thus, was initiated stereotypes the Chinese and whites began committing racial crimes against the Chinese, as well as conducting meetings of how to dispose of them or minimize their progression. In addition, white Americans were also jealous of the Chinese work ethic, how the Chinese were honest and loyal. All these parts these things spurred the creation of a law that halted immigrant Chinese from coming into the country unless there was a certification that said otherwise, this law was known as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Thesis Question What caused xenophobia against the Chinese prior to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882? Hypothesis What caused xenophobia against the Chinese prior to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882? …show more content…
The Chinese were believed to be taking all the jobs and fields of work which made white people angry, and as more Chinese were coming toward California the availability of job became scarcer. And as the population grew with more Chinese residents the economy took a downturn which the white Americans blamed on the Chinese. Then, as time passed, white people began to feel that the Chinese had committed an underhanded scheme to take over the American economy, since they filled occupations such as clothing, food, and tobacco which were prevalent fields during that time. As jobs started to decrease for white people they supported the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to prevent the Chinese from taking anymore positions. White people were envious about the way that Chinese operated business and the professionalism they possessed. Their ability to save money, be honest, and loyal to one job made them jealous. Their ability to be efficient consistently outraged them and caused them to hate the Chinese or have a reason to act unfavorably toward them, especially how prosperous the Chinese were prior to the Chinese Exclusion Act. So, the jealousy that the white people had against the Chinese work ethic led to the Chinese Exclusion Act. Xenophobia against Chinese and patriotism caused the Chinese Exclusion Act. Since the Chinese were immigrants that migrated from another location as well as they looked different they were hated. In addition, the interracial couples that began to exist because of the Chinese migration created hate crimes because they were not the same as white people. This hate eventually gave rise to crimes committed against the Chinese which could be seen in various articles and cartoons. The white people were fighting for patriotism and for their home while the Chinese were fighting for freedom and prosperity. Goals and objectives In this paper, I will examine the xenophobia and racism shown toward the Chinese in the late 1800s’s and the elements that led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. I will discuss xenophobia and racism and support the claims I have made using congressional and visual artifacts which include, letters, art and newspaper clips and personal interviews/narratives). Impact James Baldwin said it best when pertaining to black people, “you were born, where you were born and faced the future that you faced because you were black and for no other reason” (Baldwin). All ethnicities in the united states will always have to work harder because of this nation being led by