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Challenges Faced By Chinese Laborers During Westward Expansion

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According to Webster’s II New College Dictionary, to survive means to persist through. People in the Westward expansion were persistent to find a better life so they went through the Oregon Trail and built the Transcontinental Railroad. During the Westward Expansion, many people struggled to get through. The Chinese Laborers suffered the most in the west because of harsh conditions, economic deprivation, and racial discrimination.

The Chinese faced many challenges during Westward Expansion because of harsh conditions while building the Transcontinental Railroad. Harsh conditions during this time dictated the way the Chinese built the railroad and the way they lived their lives. Unlike the Irish, the Chinese were not provided with living space or food so they built underground tunnels to live in ("Chinese-American Contribution"). Some tunnels collapsed on top of the people living in them ("The Builders"). These conditions delayed the Chinese’s journey, therefore it took longer for …show more content…

The Chinese faced major economic deprivation during the time of Westward Expansion, and were continuingly paid less even if their work ethic was better. The Chinese were only paid $26 per month, whereas the Irish were paid $35 per month ("Chinese-American Contribution"). This explains how the Chinese were paid unfairly. They may have been paid less than the Irish is because they were considered to have no political standing, and their opinions did not matter to anyone in the United States. The company need a high amount of workers and they significantly failed by receiving the number they wanted. The company wanted over 5,000 workers to come and work on the railroad, but they only had 600 on the list of payroll by 1864. (“Workers of the Central”). The ratio between 600 and 5,000 workers is a dramatic difference so the workers had to work about eight times harder and

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