Contested Boundaries by David J. Jepsen & David J. Norberg

Author:David J. Jepsen & David J. Norberg [Jepsen, David J. & Norberg, David J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119065531
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2017-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chinese – the travails of life on “gold mountain”

Chinese began arriving in the United States in the early 1850s when word about the California Gold Rush spread around the globe. The opportunity for riches in California, known as the land of “gum saan,” or “gold mountain,” offered a way out of China, where famine and war ripped through the southern provinces. By 1880, an estimated 105,000 Chinese lived in the United States, with more than 16,000 in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.18 Many immigrants were “freemen” who could afford the cost of a ticket to America ($40 to $50). The majority, however, entered into a labor contract with a broker. In exchange for the cost of passage and job placement, immigrating Chinese pledged a percentage of their wages.19

Like African Americans, opportunities were limited for Chinese immigrants who faced discrimination and hostility in almost all areas of life. They mostly worked jobs white men scoffed at. On the railroads, they performed both the most menial and most dangerous tasks. The Northern Pacific Railroad recruited more than 21,000 Chinese in 1882 to build its line through Montana, Idaho, and Washington territory.20 To blast tunnels, the railroad used Chinese for the extremely hazardous job of setting charges. Later those same crews cleared away the rubble in wheelbarrows. Life was much the same for Chinese working in the gold and coal mines in Idaho and Washington and the forests of Oregon. In towns and cities, they were relegated to the backbreaking, repetitive work at the lumber mills, canneries, and waterfront. They became a growing presence in service jobs such as cooks, domestic help, and laundrymen. In spite of racial tensions, they offered an attractive source of labor for cost-conscious employers consistently coping with labor shortages. White workers tended to tolerate them, especially during the high points in the frequent economic cycles. Such tolerance disappeared, however, during downturns like those in 1873 and 1893, when jobs were scarce for everyone.

Also like African Americans, the Chinese presented a competitive threat to white labor. They worked for lower wages and crossed picket lines during strikes. They frequently attempted to break out on their own. In the gold fields, they worked the less-profitable sites abandoned by whites. They ventured into fishing and farming, selling their goods at below-market prices.

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