During the 19th century, Chinese Americans impacted the development of the American West through their labor on the Transcontinental Railroad and by shaping American culture; however Chinese Americans were negatively impacted by the American West through social and political discrimination. In the mid 1800s the discovery of gold attracted people all over the world, including the Chinese. After immigrating to the United States, many Chinese found the gold rush dream to be highly unattainable (Wade). With the influx of unemployed immigrants in the American West, many Chinese turned to fishing, cooking in restaurants, washing laundry, mining and railroad work to make a living. Mining and railroad work were among the most dangerous types of work …show more content…
The building of the Transcontinental Railroad impacted the development of the American West because it allowed for the nation to have an efficient cross country medium of transportation for the movement of people and goods. This would improve the economy among other things. The Transcontinental Railroad, a cross country project, received government funding. Because many people weren’t willing to risk their lives for the construction of a railroad, the Central Pacific company turned towards Chinese labor. The labor was highly intensive and included blasting through mountains, cutting tracks, working through winter storms, enduring avalanches, and leveling ground . Chinese labor became popular because it was “reliable” and “cheap” (“Memorial of the Chinese Six Companies”). Managers didn’t have to worry about workers threatening to quit, asking for raises, or complaining. Some Chinese crews sacrificed their lives to the railroad. “There are about seven hundred Chinese employed in grading and laying track… The engineer in charge, Mr. Curtis, told me that the Chinese make, on the whole, the best road-builders in the world. The contractor, Mr. Strobridge, told me that they learn all parts of the work very quickly… They do not drink, fight, …show more content…
Social discrimination worked to implicitly devalue the Chinese Americans. It was not an uncommon occurrence for Chinese Americans to be name called or physically beaten, “...marks “Chinese” as “Other” by stereotyping… as undesirably passive and effeminate… he begins the novel ashamed of his Chinese heritage,” (Gouge). White Americans set a tone within the nation that Chinese Americans were wanted and excluded them from society. White American citizens would get sympathy for claiming that it was unfair for Chinese Americans to get work. White Americans felt threatened by the Chinese American presence because Chinese Americans were receiving many job opportunities (Nast). These jobs resembled slave labor because the companies realized that the Chinese would do the work regardless of the wage. This mindset was degrading and abusive. This sympathy white Americans got became useful when they would attack Chinese Americans. The police would see the Chinese Americans wrecked from a fight and charge them for having been in a fight, regardless of whether or not they were victims (Samuel). When Chinese Americans were constantly being badgered and beaten they saw no opportunity or reason to interact with other Americans and instead isolated themselves. Many towns, concentrated with Chinese, sprouted in larger cities. These towns were common because they acted as a bubble where the oppression