Chinese-Americans in the U.S., 1848-1979

Attracted by gold rush, many immigrants from China began to enter the U.S to seek fortune in 1848. However, they received miserable treatment and experienced deep prejudices from native-born American whites. The anti- Chinese sentiment among the whites reached climax when the Chinese Exclusion Act was enacted in 1882. Further Chinese immigration was thus barred. In order to shun from outside hostility, the Chinese retreated to inner-city regions and developed the Chinatowns. Like most immigrants, Chinese-American parents also faced the problem of educating their children and helping them to adjust to the new culture while still keeping them clinging to their traditional Chinese culture. But the young generation was different from their parental generation. They wanted to get integrated into the host society and were more inclined to have their voices heard. In the 1970s, they launched the Yellow Power Movement to fi ght for equal rights. Key words: Immigrant; Anti-Chinese; Chinatown; Yellow power