英語流行話題閱讀:語境識詞4500 48 Chinese Immigrants in the USA

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Unit 48

Chinese Immigrants in the USA

Chinese Americans make up a tiny fraction of US population, and their numerous contributions to their adopted land are much appreciated. However, it was once common in America to associate Chinese Americans with restaurants and laundries. People did not realize that the Chinese had been driven into these occupations by the prejudice and discrimination.

The first Chinese to reach the USA came during the California Gold Rush of 1849. In that largely unoccupied land, the men staked a claim for themselves by placing markers in the ground. Either because the Chinese were so different from the others in speech and appearance, including a long "pigtail" at the back of their otherwise shaved heads, or because they worked so patiently that they succeeded in turning a seemingly worthless mining claim into a profitable one, they became the scapegoats of their envious competitors. They were harassed in many ways, and therefore started to seek out other ways of earning a living. Some began to do the laundry for the white miners; others set up small restaurants. There being almost no women in California in those days, the Chinese filled a real need by doing this "woman's work".

In the early 1860's more Chinese were imported as work crews to construct the first transcontinental railroad. They were needed because the work was so backbreaking and dangerous, and was carried out in such a remote part of the country that the railroad company couldn't find other laborers for the job. As in the case of their predecessors, these Chinese were almost all males and encountered a great deal of prejudice and hostility. When times were hard, they were blamed for working for lower wages and taking jobs away from white men. Anti-Chinese riots broke out, and Chinese were barred from using courts and from becoming American citizens. Many Chinese returned to their homeland, and their numbers declined sharply in the early 20th century. However, during WW II, when China was an ally of the US, the Chinese Exclusion Act, passed in 1882, was ended. In 1965, in a general revision of US immigration laws, many more Chinese were permitted to settle.

From the start, Chinese had lived apart in "Chinatowns", where the residents organized unofficial governments to make community rules and to settle disputes. Unable to find jobs on the outside, many went into business for themselves -- primarily to serve their own neighborhood. To this day, certain Chinatowns, especially those of San Francisco and New York, are busy, thriving communities, which have become great attractions for tourists and those enjoying Chinese food. Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient cultures. Children are imbued with the old values and attitudes, including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family. This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency among them. The high regard for education, and the willingness to work hard for advancement are other noteworthy characteristics, which explains why so many descendants of uneducated laborers have succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers and other professionals.