Why were Chinese discriminated against as immigrants?

Answer 1

The Chinese were discriminated against heavily in the early days of America because they were viewed as thieves. This is because during the gold rush days, many Americans were led to California through false dreams of striking it rich. When they failed to strike it rich, as happened most of the time, they wanted someone to blame. The Chinese immigrants who had done well serving meals and selling goods to the gold miners seemed like the right ones to blame.

Additionally, it should be noted that even after the US Civil War, Freed slaves, Indians, (Native Americans ) and Chinese people were not considered by many Americans to fall into the categories of people that the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution spoke about. As the Chinese were non Christians and of a different race that the Whites that controlled the USA, they were scorned as a people and discriminated against.

Answer 2

There were two main reasons why Chinese were forbidden to immigrate by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882: (1) unemployment was higher than it had been in previous years and Chinese immigrants were willing to work for lower wages, so other workers felt the Chinese were taking jobs away from them; and (2) racism.

Answer 3

Discrimination is one of mankind's earliest traits. many people feel that anybody who isn't just like us for things we will seize on as important should be shunned.

Discrimination can be based on several factors. In the case of European descended Americans the Chinese

• Had different facial features (They don't look like "us")
  
• Weere generally smaller than Europeans (They must be less robust than us)
  
• Dressed differently (They don't wear proper clothes)
  
• Ate different foods prepared in strange ways (They don't make normal food")
  
• Generally lived in communities apart from European based people (They're stand-offish)
  
• Were not Christians (Filthy heathens!)
  
• Spoke a language that Eurpeans could not understand (What art thy saying about us?)
  
• Had a work ethic that let them work hard for lower pay (We'd never work that hard for so little, will they take our jobs?)
  
• Had a social interaction that Europeans found deferential (weaker)
  

A close examination of these factors indicates no real problem except being "different". For people inclined to discriminate agains others, this is enough.

Answer 4

Because of national and ethnic interest. Same reason why Immigration is discouraged between other nationalities and/or races/ethnicities.

Answer 5

Because Eastern (Oriental) cultures and Western (Occidental) cultures are different; and they clashed.