Life was tough in China during the mid 19th century. People did not have enough food or money, and cities were overpopulated. Young Chinese men heard about opportunities for work in the United States such as farming, gold mining and railroad work. They believed it would be a great place to start over again. Young Chinese men came to this country with great hopes of making money, and sending it back to their families, and eventually returning to their homeland.Things proved to be different when they arrived and started working in the United States. I can imagine how horrible life was for Chinese immigrant workers at the time. As a group, they made up a large proportion of the Railroad ...view middle of the document...
Without Chinese people's contributions, America might not have become what it is today, one of the richest, smartest and strongest countries in the world. Chinese immigrant's contributions included building railroads, reclaiming lands, and transforming the Sacramento delta into one of the world's greatest farming lands. I felt it was unfair to the Chinese that their contributions were missing from most of the United States history textbooks. I hope that future American historians will mention more about the history and experience of this minority group in their history textbooks. More people should know about what happened to Chinese immigrants during growth of the whole country.While I watched the documentary "Ancestors in Americas," I felt sad for those Chinese immigrants who could not return home to see their families in China after long periods of labor during the 19th century. I could imagine how sad their parents, wives, and children felt when they lost their loved ones. I can not imagine how their wives could have had a happy life without having the love of their husbands. Also, I can not imagine how their children could grow to be good people without having a father as a good role model.I believe that the film tells a fascinating story, including a detailed account of how the Exclusion Act affected Chinese immigrants. This Act banned immigrants groups, including the Chinese, from voting and bringing family members to the United States in order to become American citizens. Being a Vietnamese immigrant in this country, this reflects on me, because of my race. I am permanently a foreigner and somehow not fully American. On the other hand, I can look forward to the day when I can become an American citizen will all the rights that it allows for me.Chinese laborers did not have to learn English very well because they stayed and worked within their own group. They learned only a little English if they wanted to communicated within their...
