Asia Swarming the American Hive #1

In Mrs. Gallagher's Honors History 10 class, we are working on a project that analyzes how "people, places and power" affected different events in America. People and their actions shape the events. They can identify with one side of what is occurring and form/join groups based on a common interest to achieve a common goal. Places are the regions, countries or cities that can determine things like economic options and cultures through geography and resources. Power is determined through ownership of businesses, money, and even people. Power is often what shapes a community. Those who hold it run the area they live in. Other people are subject to them and their beliefs and decisions. It was my job to figure out how these three ideas factored into Asian Immigration.

Key Terms

• The Office of the Superintendent of Immigration-formed in 1891 to decide who was or was not fit to settle in America
• Ghettos-area (usually in urban neighborhoods) where one ethnic or racial group dominated
• Restrictive Covenants-agreements among homeowners not to sell real estate to certain groups of people (African Americans, Mexicans, Asian Americans, Jews)
• Transcontinental Railroad-finished in 1869 by a quarter million Chinese workers
• Chinese Exclusion Act-1882 congress prohibited Chinese laborers from entering country unless they had previously established residence, not repealed until 1943
• Pictures Brides- when told no one could immigrate unless they had family in America, Japanese would arrange daughters' marriages to Japanese men already in US
• Blood Unions-groups Japanese workers organized themselves into based on their ethnic membership, went on strike and protested for equal treatment and wages between races
• Contracting Land- allowed Asians, especially Japanese to rent land, pay off owner with their profits and hopefully earn enough to buy the land for themselves
• Webb Alien Land Law-banned non-citizen Asians from owning farmland

2-3 Enduring Statements

1. When people who are of a different race, ethnicity or economic situation move to an area populated by more powerful people who do not understand them, they are thrown to the bottom of the social hierarchy.

• Some areas demanded that Japanese and Korean children attend a different schools (America: Pathways to the Present pg. 532)
• Asian immigrants came from west coast ports, they differed greatly from Americans and white immigrants so they were made targets of suspicion and hostility (America: Pathways to the Present, pg 531)
• Because they were not white, Asians were denied the right to be made a citizen of the United States (A Different Mirror)
• On mainland in particular Japanese were refused services like haircuts and people refused to employ them, becoming a farmer who owned their own land in America became the dream, but had to contract land by agreeing to plant certain crops then give a certain amount of profit to land's actual owner once crop was sold, after renting and earning money/paying off the true owner, they hoped to own the land (A Different Mirror pg 252)
• Even second generation, who were born in America were discriminated against, people threw rocks at them called them names and despite their access to education and completion of schooling, only 25% between 1925 and 1935 actually had jobs for which they had schooled and trained for (A Different Mirror pg. 259)
• 1904 the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association restricted skilled positions to American citizens, Asians were not white and therefore could not be legalized citizens, they were stuck with labor intensive jobs, no one could earn much money unless they were white and they weren't respected, called by number instead of a name (A Different Mirror, pg. 239-240)
• 1913 non-citizen Asia s were banned from owning land (America: Pathways to the Present, pg 532)

2. Even after those with little power take extreme actions to get their voices heard, their requests are rarely fulfilled by those who truly hold the power in the community.

• Asian immigrants  accepted low wages, the more came, the lower wages dropped and companies hired them over Americans(America: Pathways to the Present, pg 531)
• When Japanese workers asked for their wages to be raised, their employees sent for more Korean workers meant to drive the Japanese out. When Korea heard of their people being mistreated, they cut off emigration to the US, so US started hiring from the Philippines (A Different Mirror, pg. 238)
• Japanese had to protest or go on strike because of unfair wages, harsh working conditions (A Different Mirror, pg. 242)
• Strike of 1909 by Japanese workers in Hawaii, in 1919 Japanese Federation of Labor and the Filipino Federation of Labor submitted demands to Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, wanted higher wages, shorter days, insurance for retirees and paid maternity leave, both Federations decided to work together and both races went on strike (A Different Mirror pg 244)
• Rather than listening to this united front, the planters' association bribed the leader of the Filipino Federation into ending his temporary alliance with the Japanese Federation. This way they didn't have to listen to either federation and raise wages. Workers would just return to their jobs (A Different Mirror pg. 245)

Beginning in the mid-1800s, immigrants from all over Asia started moving to the United States. Like anyone else moving to new place, they experienced a period of adjustment, to the new culture, language, people and customs. However, they also experiences racism to an extent that no other immigrants had to face. Those who held the power in America were reluctant to allow them into their country. They didn't want Asians taking their jobs or corrupting their children. Therefore, Asian immigrants were tossed to the bottom of the social hierarchy. Not only did they have to fight to adjust to a new country, but they had to fight for jobs, common public services and fair treatment and wages. They were forced to go on strike just to have their voices heard. Japanese and Filipino workers went on huge strikes several times over the  extent of 30 years. Each time they simply asked for higher wages and shorter hours, plus common courtesy job benefits given to any white worker, and each time, they were ignored by their white superiors. Those who held the power in America and at the places where Asian immigrants worked made it virtually impossible for