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Chinese Laborers

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The first Chinese immigrant was during the nineteenth century, many people think that this was life changing for the Chinese, but the reality was completely opposite. Thousands of Chinese came over to the US by the Central Coast who hired them to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. The Chinese came over thinking and hoping for a better new life, but it turned out they became laborers working and it was the most unfortunate time for the Chinese immigrants.The Chinese Laborers faced the most difficulties trying to survive and thrive in the west due to dangers and difficulties in work and environment, discrimination, and dangers and difficulties in daily life. The Chinese Laborers faced the most difficulties trying to survive and thrive …show more content…

The Central Coast saw this and took advantage of the Chinese worker’s skills. In a book called “The Chinese in America”, it reads, “ ...the Chinese were forced to chisel tunnels through the granite using only handheld drills, explosives, and shovel. In some places they encountered a form of rock so hard it was imperious to frontal attack, even gunpowder.” ("The Chinese"). To begin with, explosives such as firework and gunpowder are super dangerous. The Chinese workers had to deal with it every single day, meaning their lives are at risk every second . Building the trail itself was hard enough, but putting their lives on the line to build it is over the top level of great danger. The Central Coast did not care, they only care the the work gets done. Hard work usually ends with rest, but for the Chinese, their job took over all their precious time. The book, “Chinese In America” also wrote, “ In the summer of 1866, to move farther faster, the railroad kept several shifts of men going day and night. …show more content…

The Chinese Laborers faced the most difficulties trying to survive and thrive in the west due to dangers and difficulties in work and environment, discrimination, and dangers and difficulties in daily life. Many people might claim that the Chinese laborers did not faced the most difficulties because they were lucky to even earn money while facing their hardships at the same time. As for the pioneers traveling on the trail, they were facing many hardships but for most of time, they were spending money, rather than earning or making anything. However, for most of the laborers, they were forced to go to work. The workers have had to face many challenges just like the pioneers trying to find a new life, but after that, they were given zero rest and were forced to go work everyday. In addition, thirty dollars a month, meant a dollar every day, and to be more exact, that was not a lot of money at all compared to the hard work the Chinese put in. Through this cruel event in history for the Chinese Laborers, it had made a huge effect in today’s world. Chinese today are allowed in the US with citizenship because of the many controversy in the late 1800s. This has really taught the US government and business company to be what they are today, welcoming and always putting their citizens

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Central Pacific Railroad started from San Francisco, and used Chinese laborers for their work, pushing through the Sierra Nevada mountains. In 1867, to encourage quick progression, Congress deemed the land remaining between the two companies, which was the Utah plains, to be paid at mountain rate. This motivated the Union Pacific crew to lay 360 miles of track, and the Central Pacific crew to lay 425 miles of track within the year (Stockwell, 2011). Unfortunately, this hasty pace came at a cost.

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