USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Introduction. Pulled initially by the discovery of gold in California in 1848, tens of thousands of Chinese men migrated to the American West and helped to transform the region’s economy and environment during the second half of the 19th century.

Detailed explanation-2: -At that time, war, famine, and a poor economy in southeastern China caused many Chinese men to come to America. Most of them hoped to find great wealth and return to China. Between 1849 and 1853, about 24, 000 young Chinese men immigrated to California.

Detailed explanation-3: -Chinese immigrants first flocked to the United States in the 1850s, eager to escape the economic chaos in China and to try their luck at the California gold rush. When the Gold Rush ended, Chinese Americans were considered cheap labor.

Detailed explanation-4: -At the peak of gold rush immigration in 1852, 20, 000 Chinese immigrated to California, out of a total of 67, 000 people, thus, Chinese immigrants accounted for nearly 30% of all immigrants. In response to the influx of Chinese immigrants, the California legislature passed a new foreign miners’ tax of $4 per month.

Detailed explanation-5: -With nothing to lose, approximately 25, 000 Chinese immigrated to “Gam Saan, ” translated as “Gold Mountain” in Cantonese, by 1850. California owes much to the laborers of these Chinese immigrants, as they built most of the nation’s entryway into the state-The Transcontinental Railroad.