Hayley+H


 * What is your gerneral belief about who or what is most responsible for causing the conflict?**

I think the Americans were responsible for causing the conflict. They were the ones who passed the law. They were the ones to dislike the Chinese.

**What is the relevant background information (i.e. who, what, when, where)?**

// -A Chinese farmer //
 * The Chinese were the first Asian immigrants to enter the USA.
 * Half of US Chinese lived in the California area, around San Francisco. This is how Chinatown was created.
 * Over time, resentment towards the Chinese increased from those who could not compete with them.
 * Although these cities were often overcrowded slum areas in the 1800's, the Chinatowns turned from crime and drug ridden places to quiet, colorful tourist attractions in the mid 1900's. (Chao, Adam)
 * The Chinese Exclusion Act ended in the mid 1900s.
 * "I work on four-mou land [less than one acre, a larger than average holding] year in and year out, from dawn to dusk, but after taxes and providing for your own needs, I make $20 a year. You make that much in one day. No matter how much it cost to get there, or how hard the work is, America is still better than this."

**What were 3 factors that helped cause the conflict (politics, economics, geography, history)?**

One factor that helped start conflict was the economy. Most Chinese had come to the US to work on the Trans-continental Railroad (these were the laborers that Americans looked down on). Although they were there to help, the conflict could have been avoided if the Americans had seen them working in a different light, or ignored it.

The next factor was definitely politics. When they passed The Chinese Exclusion, they didn't allow any Chinese into the country! This could have been so easily avoided if the government hadn't passed the bill.

I believe that the causes of the conflict were obviously racism, but power too. The first Chinese immigrants to come to America were wealthy, skilled and very successful. When they came, the Americans had no problem with them and actually honored them. But then groups of Chinese laborers came to the USA in the mid-1800s and Americans completely changed their perspective on the Chinese in general. They thought that they were inferior to them and the Europeans. The whole conflict had to do with how much power Americans believed they had for whatever reason. They believed they had the right to be able to think lower of another group of people because they were from some other place and had different money/law/family situations.

**Explain why one factor is more important than the others.**

I think the most important factor was politics. If they hadn't passed the law then nothing would have happened!

**How could the conflict have been avoided?**

I think the conflict could have definitely have been avoided if the Americans hadn't thought so lowly of the Chinese and put themselves in their shoes. The Chinese were just trying to find a new life so they could live up to their full potential. However, when the law passed to keep Chinese out because they were "just laborers", they gave them no chance to give them a new start.


 * What sources of information have you used? **

Chao, Adam & Spencer, Dan "Immigration: The Journey to America" Date accessed: May 20th, 2009 []

"Exclusion" Date accessed: May 19th, 2009 []

Lambert, Dale A. & Clark, Dustin W. "Washington: A State of Contrasts" East Wenatchee, Washington; DMI; 2008 Pgs. 246-247