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Post by helen on Feb 21, 2011 5:10:12 GMT -5
asianaustralianstudies.org/home/news/post/new-book-the-chinese-exclusion-act-of-1882/ The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 by John Soennichsen (Landmarks of the American Mosaic series; Greenwood Press, 2011) The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a historic act of legislation that demonstrated how the federal government of the United States once openly condoned racial discrimination. Once the Exclusion Act passed, the door was opened to further limitation of Asians in America during the late 19th century, such as the Scott Act of 1888 and the Geary Act of 1892, and increased hatred towards and violence against Chinese people based on the misguided belief they were to blame for depressed wage levels and unemployment among Caucasians. This title traces the complete evolution of the Exclusion Act, including the history of Chinese immigration to the United States, the factors that served to increase their populations here, and the subsequent efforts to limit further immigration and encourage the departure of the Chinese already in America.
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eeng
Member
Keeper of the Family History Chronicles
Posts: 14
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Post by eeng on Mar 12, 2012 22:39:20 GMT -5
Wow, we haven't really come that far since then, have we? America takes pretty much the same position nowadays to their current immigrants, as well.
I'm trying to figure out what life might have been like for my (husband's) ancestors. His great-grandfather was supposedly actually born in San Francisco (?!) while his grandfather was born in China. It would appear as though the grandfather stayed in his village in Canton being raised by his mother, and lived a good life, while his father perhaps worked in California? Eventually Grandpa emigrated over to the US while still a young man and married a Mexican girl and they worked together/owned a restaurant in Texas.
The story is that immigration was to escape communism. Sometimes I feel like I know next to nothing about Chinese history, so I can't really put it in proper perspective. But, Grandpa would have gotten married in the '40s and he was born in the '20s.
I wish we could just go back in time and talk to people, and figure them out... what their passions were, what drove them in specific directions, and how they were treated and perceived. History can give us SOME clues but I do wish the individual stories always remained.
Do you have any perspective on what these folks may have been feeling or going through during this era and these places?
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Post by helen on Mar 13, 2012 0:58:25 GMT -5
Hi Eeng - there are many books writing about the experiences of not only US Chinese History, but many other countries as well. Some of the books are available by google-ing - tou can read parts of the books to get an idea. you'll find some mentions in other threads on this board.
Congratulations for taking the small step to researching your husband's family. One clue leads to another. Addictive
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