▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ' s ▁First ▁O pi um ▁War ▁( 1 8 3 9 - 1 8 4 2 ) ▁against ▁Q ing ▁China , ▁Lord ▁Pal mer ston ▁regarded ▁the ▁Chinese ▁as ▁un c ivil ized ▁and ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁must ▁attack ▁China ▁to ▁show ▁up ▁their ▁superior ity ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁what ▁a ▁" c ivil ized " ▁nation ▁could ▁do . ▁The ▁tr end ▁became ▁commonly ▁popular ▁throughout ▁the ▁Second ▁O pi um ▁War ▁( 1 8 5 6 - 1 8 6 0 ), ▁when ▁repeated ▁attacks ▁against ▁foreign ▁trad ers ▁in ▁China ▁infl amed ▁anti - Ch inese ▁campaign s . ▁With ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁China ▁in ▁both ▁wars , ▁and ▁violent ▁behavior ▁of ▁Chinese ▁towards ▁foreign ers , ▁Lord ▁El gin ▁upon ▁his ▁arrival ▁in ▁P ek ing ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁ordered ▁the ▁lo oting ▁and ▁burning ▁of ▁China ' s ▁Summer ▁Palace ▁in ▁ven ge ance , ▁highlight ing ▁the ▁deep ▁Sin oph ob ic ▁sentiment ▁existing ▁in ▁the ▁West . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Ex clusion ▁Act ▁further ▁deep ened ▁deep ▁Sin oph ob ic ▁sentiment ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁which ▁es cal ated ▁into ▁t ensions . ▁Chinese ▁workers ▁were ▁forb idden ▁and ▁treated ▁as ▁second - class ▁citizens . ▁Meanwhile , ▁during ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century ▁in ▁Peru , ▁Chinese ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁slave ▁labor ers ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to