<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
I've heard that there was an opium problem with Asian people, back during the Gold Rush in California. Is that true?
<|assistant|>
Yes, there was an opium problem during the Gold Rush in California. Opium, which was brought from China by the large influx of Asian immigrants, was a popular recreational drug that was readily available in many cities. The influx of Chinese immigrants also contributed to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred immigration of Chinese laborers and effectively stopped any further immigration of Chinese people to the United States. The opium problem during the Gold Rush created some unrest and tension among Anglos, who viewed the Chinese immigrants and opium as a threat to their livelihoods. This prompted the passage of various legislation in an effort to regulate opium.