Only race we made special acts to keep out. “Chinese Exclusion Acts”Most un-assimilate-able peopleNothing like Americans19th Century ChinaCome in during the first wave, almost immediately after the Irish, but come after some of the Irish are already here.China is an “Old Nation” been around for thousands of years, basically the same government systems. Incredibly advancedMarco Polo constantly talked about how advanced the Chinese were, plumbing, flushing toilets, sewage systems while Europe was still “knocking people over the head and dragging them away.First Chinese show up in 1849, America has only been around for about 70 years, a New NationThese two are vastly different because of their age.Differences between Chinese and AmericansHow we feel about ageAmericans treasure youth, if they lived to be 60, elderlyChinese revere age, older you are, the better, more wise, closer to the divine. Most beautiful thing about a person is their age, Chinese live MUCH longer than Americans, people easily live to 60 and beyond, average age of death in the 19th century is 80.How we feel about familyChinese, everything done with your family, lived and worked entirely with your family, they’re your everything. Headed by the eldest male. Extended families. Everyone lives with you in a “compound” almost like a gated community and you live in one place, your cousins another, your grandmother, aunts, etc. Called Clans, everyone linked by blood and/or marriage. When a husband gets married to a woman, she comes to the compound, gives up her family (but the kids still go see po-po and gung-gung) The eldest male presides over the whole family. If grandpa dies, his brother may lead the family then. Tells you what to do and what not to do. Families are buried in the compound.IndividualismIndividualism is wrong in China. You MUST follow what the eldest male says. He tells you who you’re going to marry, what your job will be, and will tell you whether or not you will immigrate to America.Introductions are made with surname first, because your individual name doesn’t matter, you’re a representation of your family wherever you go.To go against the eldest male isn’t something that even occurs to the Chinese.And this culture moves to a youth and self obsessed country. What??Divisions within ChinaBoth geographically and culturallyAlmost all of the Chinese that immigrate come from Guadong or the “Canton” province, totally different from everything in China. Rich, importing/exporting goods. Top exports, Rice, Tea, and Opium. None of these are grown in Guadong, but would have made no money without these merchants. These are NOT the people who traded with the Africans on the Trans-Saharan tradeMost came from Toishan/Taishan, a boat city, merchants as well as firework makers, producers, and sellers.Why did the Chinese leave?5 main reasons LISTING QUESTIONGovernment – Run by an emperor, fearful of losing his power, decides in the early 1800s that he’s going to “reconquer” his own people, in Guadong the clans are running the show of importing and exporting, which cheats the nation kind of out of their import taxes, sends in the army to take over these areas. Raises taxes, to raise his army, to shoot you down faster. So, clan leaders don’t pay taxes, upsets the emperor even more. Guadong province can’t get any food because the armies block it offOverpopulation – only became a problem when the emperor starts closing off these cities, no food, no jobs as a result of imperialismImperialism – Comes into China and takes it over for silk, opium, and tea. Europeans didn’t want to pay the price the Chinese charged, so tried to take over. Successfully takes over Hong Kong, claims their companies and fires the Chinese, resulting in a loss of jobs for the Chinese.Europeans bring western civilization to China, talk to the youth in China, asking them why they listen to their old coot relatives.So successful in their imperialism (cultural and economic) that those who left China for America, living in an Ethnic Enclave, kept your culture better than the Chinese who stayed home.Weather – Two Tsunamis hit Toishan, completely destroys the harbor, Rice is gone, the Chinese of Guadong are starvingWar and Rebellion – Running away from the war because their sons may be drafted into the army they hateDo the Chinese want to come to America?They see how America treats Africans and the Irish through political cartoons and readingThe long trip, stop in Hawaii and Guam which really aren’t on the wayWhy do the Chinese WANT to come to America?Hear about the Gold Rush, call America Gold Mountain, they believe that when they went to California they would have a massive gold nugget “Gum Saan” – Gold Mountain – waiting on them to just take their chisel, knock off a few carats, then head home. America sells out this story because we need workers in AmericaHow do we take the Chinese to America?Steamers, Chinese ride these big boats in the hulls at something akin to steerage class because it’s all they can afford. The clan pools their money, and the eldest male picks a boy single, 18-26, etc etc. They chose a young man to send because they knew Americans liked young people, and would pick someone who could assimilate the best into American culture.Practice something called “return Migration” Planned on having all of their immigrants coming back, works for 5 years, saves up all his money, and returns back home, hands it to the head of the clan, and you will get your wife, have sex with her for 2 weeks, get her pregnant, then take off back to the US, work another 5 years, then return home, back and forth for 30 years, then stays in China. They don’t really assimilate because there’s no need to as they travel back and forth. Live in a “bachelor society” a bunch of single men who the WASPs were convinced would rape their pretty white ladies4 factors of successMoney – not the poorhouse, they’re in basic clothes, but look decent/not poor, give the illusion of having a little bit of moneyNumbers – 300,000 by 1882, make up 1/10 of CA total populationLocation – Goes to San Francisco, CA, not even a state when the Chinese comes over in 1849, build an Ethnic enclave in a ghetto on the edge of the San Fran port, a little inland and cheap to live on, separated from WASPs, obviously don’t assimilate.Bachelor society, no women, and if married, all family is in China. 98% of Chinese
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