Chinese Vs African American Immigration Essay

Even though the United States is a country made up of immigrants, people have not always been welcoming to the immigrants. Washington’s prediction has been disproven throughout the course of history in the United States. Numerous immigrant groups that came to America were not always given access to the same rights and privileges as others had. Two groups the clearly show that the US did not uphold Washington’s prediction are the Chinese and the Africans. Both the Chinese and Africans who immigrated to the US by choice or by force, were denied the basic rights and privileges that others in the US were given. For instance, when the Chinese first arrived to America many of them were poor labors who worked for little money. In California, they were paid $3 compared to the $6 that average worker was earning. While numerous immigrant groups were allowed to

Also, in 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed and prohibited the immigration of the Chinese for 10 years and denied naturalization to those in the US already. This act directly goes against what Washington said, by denying them the right and privilege to come to America and seek citizenship that is given other immigrant groups. In addition, the Africans that were brought over as slaves were denied those rights and privileges given to others from the start. Many were denied there basic right of freedom, since they were sold into slavery and forced to work as labors. They were not granted their freedom until the passing of the 13th and 14th Amendments (1865, 1868) that ended slavery and gave African-Americans citizenship. Also, they were unable to vote and own land. This was something that many white men in America had a right to do. It was not until the 1950s and 1960s that African-Americans were finally granted the right to vote in. After the Civil Rights Movement and a series