Title: Asian American Timeline - Immigration, Achievements & Famous Firsts - HISTORY
Headings: Asian American Milestones: Timeline
Asian American Milestones: Timeline
Gold Rush Lures New Wave of Immigrants
Page Act, Chinese Exclusion Act Restrict Immigration
White Coal Miners Target Chinese Workers
Japanese Internment
PHOTOS: Japanese Internment Camps
Asian-American Firsts in Congress
Advances in Labor Rights
Asian Americans in Architecture, Film
Asian-American Political Firsts
Sources

Content: George, Hisa, and Yasbei at the Colorado River Relocation Center, c. 1942 (Photo: Corbis/Getty Images)
The first major wave of Asian immigrants arrived at American shores in the mid-1800s and Asian Americans have since played a key role in U.S. history, while also facing discrimination and exclusion. A diverse population, the nation’s 20 million-plus Asian Americans have roots in more than 20 countries in Asia and India, according to the Pew Research Cente r, with Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese making up 85 percent of today’s Asian American population. Here’s a look at some of the notable milestones throughout Asian American history. READ MORE: Full Coverage on Asian American and Pacific Islander History
Gold Rush Lures New Wave of Immigrants
May 7, 1843: A 14-year-old fisherman named Manjiro becomes the first official U.S. Japanese immigrant after being adopted by American Capt. William Whitfield who rescued the boy and his crew after a shipwreck 300 miles from Japan's coast. Years later, Manjiro returned to his home country, where he was named a samurai and worked as a political emissary with the West. 1849: