If Asian Americans are to assume the role of bridge builders across the Pacific, what are the opportunities, the risks, the promises, the perils? Have you ever heard of the saying, “the nation was built on the backs of immigrants”? Immigrants has sometimes brought out the worst in our nation. Other times it has brought out the best as we have remembered what kind of country we claim and aspire to be. People most of the time think by just African Americas, Hispanics, Irish, or Germans etc. However, some tend to forget about the Asian Americans, also have a big part of building our nation. Asian Americans faced discrimination, promises, danger, opportunities.
Throughout Asian American history they have faced a long road of rejection and inequitable treatment, especially during the periods of changing of population, decline in economic activity, or war. In the early 1850s young men were signed up as contract laborers from Southern China. Asian immigrants have taken part of an important role in building this country. Some examples of labor were working on railroads, farming, mining, fisherman, and factory working representing 20% labor force in California by 1870. By 1876 with the depression, up roars of anti-Chinese saying that their taking our jobs violence broke out. In 1882, a law was passed in the United States preventing Chinese immigrant labors from immigrating to the United States. It was the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first immigration law that excluded an entire ethnic group. Following that a large number of Japanese workers and a handful of Koreans arrived to the States to replace the Chinese for much cheaper labor. However, a legislation soon followed of anti-Japanese legislation and violence. By 1907, the “Gentle men’s agreement” was an informal agreement between the United States and Japan. The United States would not impose restrictions on Japanese immigrants and Japan would not allow further emigration to the United States. With most of the Asians excluded, Filipinos then migrated to the United States to take over their spots to continue their cheap labor. Because of the Spanish-American War, Filipinos were not legally excluded by immigration laws since they were already annexed by the United States. The racism and economic competition worsened by the depression of 1929 leading up to severe anti-Filipino violence.
The reality of it all Asian Americans suffered because: the actuality of western colonization, the unequal power relations in Asia, the need for cheap labor that added to the expansion and economic development in the U.S., the impact on social policy and public attitudes is due to the ignorance and racist beliefs of white superiority.