INTRODUCTION 

A Short History of the Chinese in America is a story about the immigration of Chinese to the United States from the 19th Century to the present.  It tells how early Chinese immigrants came to America in search of gold, worked as laborers on the building of the first transcontinental railroad and did other menial work, while at the same time facing prejudice and discrimination from the peoples who were already in the United States.

It also tells the story of how the United States passed the first and only Federal law that specifically prevented an ethnic group from immigrating, and how steps were taken to pass additional laws to prolong and obstruct the migration of Chinese to America.

Yet, despite these laws and anti-Chinese sentiments, this is a story about how Chinese Americans served their adopted country with pride, and once naturalized, how they became "model citizens" for other Americans to emulate.

To begin, please start by clicking on the button below:

"Gold Mountain"