Abstract:

Portrays the largescale immigration of Chinese during the Gold Rush, their central role in building the West, and their landmark legal battles to overcome discrimination and expand the definition of 'American. Begins with a telling sequence that vividly portrays how Asian immigrants are conspicuously absent from the public history of the times, despite their significant contributions. Shows how the Chinese who arrived for the Gold Rush faced enormous bigotry and danger, yet were the pivotal labor force in developing the West, especially in agriculture, fishing and land reclamation. Also reveals how the Chinese were changed by their American experience and by the 1850s initiated political and legal action to overcome discrimination and the denial of basic rights, resulting in historic court cases that reshaped American law in the areas of immigration, civil rights, citizenship and education. Finally, looks at why Chinese women were largely excluded from America and how adaptive Chinese American community life sustained these resourceful pioneers. || Part 2 of the Ancestors in the Americas Series || Viewer Guides and related historical documents are available at http://www.cetel.org