CRE 151 Chinese Immigrants in the United States

 

I)                    Chinese Immigrants in the United States

a.      One of largest immigrant groups in U.S.

                                                               i.      Impacted by Covid which altered global migration

                                                             ii.      Peaked to almost 2.5 million in 2019

                                                           iii.      Fell under 2.4 million in 2021

                                                           iv.      Due to Trump administration policy on migration from China during early months of pandemic

1.      Tighter visa rules for international students and foreign workers throughout 2020

                                                             v.      Also china restricted travel with its zero-Covid policies

                                                           vi.      Recently these numbers have begun to rise

b.      History of Chinese immigration

                                                               i.      1882 Chinese Exclusion Act -response to anti-Chinese sentiment and organized labor lobbying

                                                             ii.      Chinese government imposed restrictions on emigration after WWII and Chinese Communist Revolution which limited mobility

                                                           iii.      1965 Immigration Act which removed barriers for non-european immigrants and increased immigration,

                                                           iv.      In 1978 China relaxed emigration controls

1.      Chinese immigrants nearly doubled from 1980 to 1990 and again in 2000

2.      Still growing

                                                             v.      Represent third largest origin group among U.S. Immigrants =5% of 45.3 million immigrants in U.S. in 2021.

1.      Leading groups are Mexico and India

                                                           vi.      Hong Kong-born population much smaller

1.      About 80,000 k in 1980

2.      In 204,000 it was 2000, then by 2021 it was 248,000

3.      Comprise 10 percent of 2.4 million Chinese immigrants in U.S.

                                                          vii.      China main source of foreign students in U.S. higher education

                                                        viii.      Comprise second largest number of employer-sponsored H-1B temporary visas in 2021

1.      Chinese nationals received 5.4 percent of the 2,900 immigrant investor visas issued in 2021

c.       U.S. op destination for Chinese immigrants worldwide

                                                               i.      About 28percent of the 8.6 million Chinese living outside of China, Hong Kong or Macau

                                                             ii.      Other popular destination would be Canada (930,000), South Korea (803,000), Japan (776,000), Australia (764,000) and Singapore (514,000).

II)                   Chinese Immigrants tend to be significantly better educated than foreign- and native-born U.S. populations

III)                 More likely to be employed in management positions

IV)                More likely to obtain lawful permanent residence (green card)through their work

V)                  Less likely to be proficient in English

VI)                Half of Chinese immigrants live in two states

a.      California (32 %) and New York (19%)

VII)              Less likely to be proficient in English and speak English at home compared to other foreign immigrants to U.S.

a.      About 57% above the age of 5 and over have limited proficiency compared to 46% of other foreign born

b.      11 % speak only English at home compared to 17% of all immigrants

VIII)            Age, Education, and Employment

a.      Chinese median age is equal to the overall foreign born is 47 and higher than U.S. born at 37

b.      Slightly less likely to be of working age (18 – 64) but more likely than native-born population

c.       Tend to have considerably higher leels of education than other foreign immigrants and U.S. population

                                                               i.      52 percent of Immigrants ages 25 and above have at least a b.a., compared to immigrants overall (34%) and U.S. born adults (35%)

                                                             ii.      Chinese immigrants with college degrees is higher for those who arrived between 2017 and 2021 = 62%

                                                           iii.      Higher education linked to specific channels

1.      Chinese immigrants arrive either as international college students

2.      Or high-skilled H-1B temporary workers

3.      Chine leading country for international students in U.S. accounting for 31 percent of international Students

a.      30 percent enrolled in science, technology, engineering and math

b.      There was a decline during pandemic

                                                           iv.      Chinese immigrants participate lower rates than other groups

1.      61 percent of immigrants 16 and older in civilian labor force

a.      Compared to 66 percent of all immigrants and 43 percent of U.S. born population

                                                             v.      Income and poverty

1.      Chinese immigrants have higher median household income than other foreign born -78, compared to 70k for immigrants and native-born households

2.      They are also slightly more likely to live in poverty -15% compared to overall immigrants at 14% and U.S. born 13%

                                                           vi.      Immigration and pathways and naturalization

1.      56 percent of Chinese naturalized compared to 53 percent of all immigrants

2.      Compared to foreign born overall,  Chinese immigrants more likely to have arrived recently -35% arrived in 2010 or later

3.       

                                                          vii.      China, Hongkong, or Macao

                                                                                                                                       i.      Comprising about 4% of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in U.S.

                                                                                                                                     ii.      Chinese diaspora (what is a diaspora) of approximately 5.4 million individuals were born in

                                                        viii.      Approximately 390,000 Chinese immigrants are unauthorized

a.      Chinese Diaspora 9^th largest in U.S.

                                                           ix.      What are remittances

1.      Chins formally send about 53.5 billion to China, Hong Kong and Macao in 2021,

a.       a decline of 22% from the high of 68.8 billion reached in 2019

b.      Represents .3 percent of China’s GDP in 2021

II) Building the Transcontinental Railroad -How 20,000 Chinese Immigrants Made It Happen

1.      15-20,000 Chinese immigrants help construct the Transcontinental Railroad

a.      They peaked during the California gold rush of 1848-1845

b.      Bu this soon faded as anti-Chinese sentiment (stemming from the California Gold rush) gripped the state

c.       But still Chinese workers were more willing to work, compared to White workers to build the railroad

d.      By 1865 majority of railroad labor force were Chinese        

                                                               i.      Without them it would have been impossible to complete the line

                                                             ii.      By 1865 90 percent of workers were Chinese

1.      Job skills included unskilled labor to blacksmithing, tunneling and carpentry

a.      Most worked one with hand tools

2.      They were not well treated and did not receive fair compensation

3.      Paid $26 dollars a month for six days a week’s work

4.      They received 30-50% less than whites doing the same job, and they had to pay for their own food

a.      Dangerous and difficult work tunneling and the use of explosives

b.      Faced physical abuse from supervisors

5.      They went on strike in 1867 for 8 days

a.      Scared the pants off company leaders

6.      Most do not know this story

III) Chinese Exclusion Act

1.      Enacted 1882, first significant law restricting immigration into the US

a.      Many blamed Chinese workers for declining wages and economic ills

b.      While they only composed .002 percent of nation’s labor force

c.       Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to placate worker demands and assuage concerns for maintaining white “racial purity.”

2.      Chinese immigration in America

a.      The Opium wars (1839-42, 1856-60) between Great Britian and China left China heavily in debt.

                                                               i.      Floods and drought also contributed to exodus of peasants from forms as they look for work

                                                             ii.      The gold rush discovered in Sacramento Valley o California in 1848 spurred Chinese Immigrants to the U.S. heading for California

                                                           iii.      Crop Failure in 1852 in China pushed even more (over 20,000 Chinese Immigrants) to arrive in San Francisco compared to 2,716 in previous year

                                                           iv.      Violence broke out between white miners and new arrivals

                                                             v.      In May of 1852 California imposed a Foreign Miners License Tax -$3 a month targeting Chinese minors

1.      Crime and violence targeting Chinese increased

                                                           vi.      1854 California Supreme Court case of People v. Hall ruled that Chinese, like black Americans and Native Americans could not testify in court

1.      Effectively making it impossible for them to seek justice against mounting violence

a.      Chinese were finally allowed to testify in court after 1884 trial of laborer Yee Shun

                                                                                                                                       i.      Took several decades to lift the ban on immigration

b.       

                                                               i.      By 1870 Chinese miners had paid $5 million to state of California via foreign Miners License Tax

1.      Yet this did not end discrimination at work and in the camps

c.       Purpose of Chinese Exclusion Act

                                                               i.      Curb influx of chines immigrants

                                                             ii.      Suspended Chinese immigration for 10 years, declared Chines immigrants ineligible for naturalization

                                                           iii.      Chester A. Author signed the bill into law May 6, 1883

1.      Chinese failed to get the courts to challenge the constitutionality of this act

d.      Geary act of 1892

                                                               i.      Reinforced and extended the Chinese Exclusion Act’s ban on Chinese immigration for additional 10 years

1.      Required Chinese residents to carry certificate of residence

a.      Those without the certificate were sentenced to hard labor then deported

                                                                                                                                       i.      Bail was only option if accused had credible white witnesses that would vouch for them

                                                                                                                                     ii.