Synthesis Essay: Diversity From The California Gold Rush

Diversity from the California Gold Rush The California gold rush brought in immigrants from all around the world searching for their chance at wealth and riches to keep for themselves or to bring back to their families. Some succeeded in this venture, but many failed. Through all the trials and tribulations that created the gold mining industry in California in the mid 1800’s, a beautiful and extraordinary society was created as well. From starting from an ungoverned state of almost anarchy, to governmental organization, the society sky rocket in size from the beginning of the gold rush to near the end of it. Different cultures and ethnicities made California a great melting pot of diversity, some of which was accepted, but most of which

With such heavy immigration of people throughout the world that were staking their own claim in California, many problems arose when Americans felt as they were being overrun and driven out of their own countryside. This however, was never the case. A sense of xenophobia and fear of Anglo-Saxon Americans may have hurt their chances at making profits and acquiring more gold. When they discriminate against the Chinese and lashed out against them, they lost the ability to learn from the Chines who fought for scraps of gold and worked more efficiently than the typical American. When they pushed out the Chileans, they lost important insight on how to run business and how the run market places as well as new mining tactics. With every group the Americans tried to rid themselves of they lost a great opportunity on how to do things differently and better. The immigration to California could have create a society that flourished even more than theirs already did, if there was not xenophobia and exclusion. The systematic exclusion of minorities led to revolts and unnecessary violence that cost many their lives and was a step back for the mining communities. Today, these ideas can be used in a similar light. With many immigration issues present, there has been a rise in xenophobia and a push back against people who can help and straighten our society through new ideas and ways of doing things. Any time a new perspective can be heard about something is a positive for everyone involved. The persecution of minorities and immigrants in our society and California’s is something that can be prevented and is a negative for all parties involved. Acceptance of others and their new ideas in a society, thrusts it forward into unprecedented