Transcript Asian Immigration to America

Asian Immigration to
America
Aidan Kaplan, Tariq Almani,
Destaing Ogu, Claire Greensmith
Asian Immigrants in the U.S.
- From Asia and the
western Pacific
area
- Philippines, China,
Japan, India,
Vietnam
- Different
nationalities,
languages,
religions,
socioeconomic
Asian Immigrants in the U.S.
- Less segregated than African
Americans and Hispanics
- Discrimination still present
Filipinos: First Wave
-There have been four waves of Filipino
immigration to the United States.
-The first wave began around 1763 and ended
in 1898.
-At this time, the Philippines were a part of
New Spain.
-“Manilamen” working on Spanish galleons
migrated via the ships.
-Many ended up in Louisiana, where they
pioneered methods of drying shrimp.
Filipinos: Second Wave
-The second wave was from
1903-1934.
-1898: Spanish-American war begins.
-Philippines declare independence
from Spain on June 12, 1898.
-Spain loses the war, cedes the
Philippines for $20 million. Filipinos
become U.S. nationals.
- The U.S. refuses to acknowledge
Philippine sovereignty, leading to the
Philippine-American war (1899-1902).
Filipinos: Second Wave (cont.)
-The United States win the war, launch
“Pensionado” program in 1903.
-Most students earn degrees in government
and administration, returning to the
Philippines with U.S. skills/culture.
Filipinos: Second Wave (cont.)
-Most Filipino immigrants at this time were
unskilled laborers.
-Hawaii and California: destinations for the
overwhelming majority.
-H.S.P.A. recruits from Philippine cities.
-Filipinos eventually become largest ethnic
group in the plantations.
Filipinos: Transitional Period
-From 1935 to 1946, Filipinos faced a period of
transition.
-1934: Tydings-McDuffie Act
-1935: Filipino Repatriation Act
Filipinos: Third Wave
-Third wave was from 1945-1965.
-After WW2, citizenship is granted to Filipino
veterans and their dependents.
-Philippine independence reached on
July 4th, 1946.
-Filipinos were now aliens, and their quota
was reduced to 100 immigrants per year.
-Filipinos in the Navy could still attain
citizenship through years of service.
Filipinos: Fourth Wave
-The fourth wave began in 1965 and continues
today.
-The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
reformed the “intolerable” status quo.
-Filipinos who came after the law was passed
were part of a new wave.
-“Relative selective” and “occupational”
migration.
-1970: 343,000
-1990: 1.4 million
Filipinos: Political Community
-Despite their history in the United States,
Filipinos do not have much political
visibility.
-Only two members of
Congress are of Filipino
descent; neither are
Senators.
-Less than one percent
of Filipino nonprofits are
advocacy groups.
Chinese Immigration
Chinese Immigration
● First wave of immigration: Mid-19th
Century
○ Chinese men immigrated for labor in
western U.S.
Chinese Immigration
● First Chinese immigrants were labor
workers:
○ Transcontinental Railroad
○ Gold Rush
○ Agriculture
○ Military
○ Fisheries
Where did they go?
● Immigrated primarily to the West Coast:
○ California
■ San Francisco
○ Oregon
● The vast majority of the Chinese people
worked in factories of production such as
cigars, clothing etc.
California Gold Rush
● Began January 24, 1848:
○ James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget in the
American River while constructing a sawmill for
John Sutter, a Sacramento agriculturalist.
● There were 25,000 Chinese working in California, most
of them were miners.
● Chinese clustered themselves around the San Francisco
region which soon became to be Chinatown.
● However, as time passed more conflicts occurred
between the Americans and the Chinese
● The Naturalization Act in 1870 then came into action
restricting emigration of the Chinese and prohibited
them from being naturalized.
Chinese jobs in USA
#
Occupation
Population
%
1.
Miners
17 069
36.9
2.
Laborers (not specified)
9 436
20.4
3.
Domestic servants
5 420
11.7
4.
Launderers
3 653
7.9
5.
Agricultural laborers
1 766
3.8
More Immigration
● 2nd wave of immigration: (1949-1980’s)
● The Magnuson Act, also known as the
Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943.
○ Allowed Chinese immigration for the first
time since the Exclusion Chinese Act of 1882
○ Permitted Chinese nationals already
residing in the country to become
naturalized citizens
More Immigration
● 3rd Wave: (1980’s to Present)
● Most immigrants coming from China were
undocumented aliens seeking low-status
manual jobs.
● Sought jobs in heavily urbanized cities such
as New York, San Francisco, etc.
Chinese Population in America
Today
JAPAN
Immigration Act of 1965: Signed into law by
Pres. Lyndon Johnson, it allowed more
immigrants from third world countries to
enter the U.S.
● The new immigrants were not admitted based on the
countries of origins but rather based on their skills and
professions.
● Allowed more Japanese
immigration into the U.S.
Japanese Immigration
● Hawaiian Sugar Industry: (1880s)
○ Created a labor gap that saw many
Japanese immigration into that region.
Japanese Immigration
● Japanese immigrants first came into the
Pacific Northwest in the 1880’s.
● Railroads recruited first generation
Japanese immigrants living in Hawaii.
● They helped construct the Oregon Shortline
and other railroads in the Columbia River
basin.
Japanese communities
● After generations of mostly manual labor
they began establishing communities
● By 1910, the Valley’s Japanese population
had grown to 468
● This is picture was taken in 1914 in
Emmett, Idaho of a family owned business
by Max and Itano Hosado
Japanese Immigrants after WWI
● Resentment for Japanese people in
America:
○ The National Origins Act practically
excluding further Japanese immigration.
○ Japanese business were forced to closed
○ Second and third generation Japanese
Americans were the majority of those
who suffered
Japanese Immigrants after WWII
● Following the onset of WWII and the attack
on Pearl Harbor Japanese immigrants and
third generation Japanese Americans were
targeted.
● Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the
removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans
from their homes in the west coast into
inland concentration camps
(Executive order 9066)
Japanese American revival
● Japanese Americans worked hard to erase the
resentments from public eye and also to remove
state discriminatory legislations that were
rampant at the time
● Most Japanese Americans felt the need to prove
their “Americanness” so they joined the military
and fought for the Allies
Japanese Americans and Jobs
● Many children of the post 1965 Japanese
immigrants have achieved remarkable
educational and professional successes.
● As a result it has transformed the
demographic, cultural, and economic
characteristics of many urban areas like
New york, Los Angeles, San Jose, etc.
● This has led to occasional tensions where
older residents turn to accuse Asians of
“taking-over”
Asian Indian Immigration
➔Immigration Reform Act of 1965
◆
◆
Amended quota and skill preferences
Naturalization rights
➔Fairly recent phenomenon
➔Highly-educated, skilled professionals from
urban middle class
➔Motivated by professional, educational,
financial and social opportunities.
Asian Indian Immigration
➔Immigrated to:
New York
◆ California
◆ New Jersey
◆ Illinois
◆
➔Occupation:
◆
Technology information industry
➔Education
◆
“Indians have the highest share of college-educated
and the highest median household income
($88,000) among the largest Asian-American
groups.” -- USA Today, 2012
Vietnamese Immigration
• Mass immigration following the end of the
Vietnam War (1975)
• Different ethnic groups seeking refuge
–Vietnamese
–Cambodians
–Laotians
–Lao Hmong
Vietnamese Immigration
Legislation:
1. Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance
Act (1975)
a.
b.
After fall of Saigon
Indochinese Refugee Assistance Program
2. Refugee Act of 1980
a.
b.
Raised immigrant limitation
Immediate family members immigrate
Vietnamese Immigration
➔First Wave
(1975):
◆
Highly-skilled,
Educated
➔Second Wave
(1978- mid1980s)
◆ Lower
socioeconomic
status
Vietnamese Immigration
● Poor urban neighborhoods
○
Strong ethnic communities
● Some resentment of immigrants
○
Vietnam War not popular
● American sympathy for refugees
○
VOLAGs
■ Voluntary Agencies aiming to assist and sponsor
refugees coming to the United States
Vietnamese Populations in America
“Throughout much of the 1970s, much of the
1980s, and into the early 1990s, almost 75%
of newly-arriving immigrants settled in just
6 states...about one-third settled in
California alone.” - Urban Institute
➔California
➔Texas
➔East Coast
➔Northern U.S.
Vietnamese Immigrants:
Occupations
● Rudimentary education and skills
meant niche jobs
○
○
○
○
Small businesses
Restaurants
Nail Salons
Commercial Fishing and Shrimping
Vietnamese Political Activity in
America
➔Strongly opposed to Communism and
sympathetic to Human Rights
➔Membership greater with Republican Party
◆
“[The Vietnamese Americans] vote with gusto, are
increasingly running for office and, in a county with
a reputation for political conservatism, have been
faithfully Republican.” - Los Angeles Times, 2008
➔Strong Ethnic Ties
◆
Community Centers
Asian Immigrants in America Today
● Ethnically diverse
● “Asian Americans say the U.S. is preferable
to their country of origin in such realms as
providing economic opportunity, political
and religious freedoms, and good conditions
for raising children.” -- Pew Research,
Social & Demographic Trends (April, 2013)
Asian Americans + Politics
● More likely to support and activist gvmt.
and less likely to identify as Republicans
● Prefer big government that provides more
services.
● “Asian Americans are now the most
urbanized U.S. population with about 95
percent living in urban rather than rural
residences.” -- Population Reference
Bureau, 2004
Asian-American Politics
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways do Asian immigrants differ
from other ethnic groups immigrating to
America?
2. How do you think that Asian immigrants’
motivations for coming to America have
changed?
3. Asians recently passed Hispanics as the
largest group of new immigrants to the
United States. Does this surprise you? Why
or why not?