4th

The Government of the US first came out with the “Burlingame treaty of 1868 which let the Chinese citizens have free and supported immigration. On top of that the US Transcontinental railroad also helped bring thousands of Chinese workers to the railroad construction business. The California gold rush attracted many Chinese immigrants seeking fortune. So government policies and initiatives created a demand for Chinese immigrant labor. The United States saw a rush of Chinese Immigrants which led them to The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. For the first time in the history of the United States saw an ethnic group being excluded not for any good reason. The law simply demonstrated that those of American and European origin believed that Chinese people posed a threat to their jobs and were racially inferior. The Act defined American identity in narrow racial terms and promoted xenophobia and prejudice. The documentary explains how trade with China, opium imports, the California gold rush, and the railroad to the Pacific laid the foundation for the anti-Chinese attitude that emerged in the 1840s. The Chinese were employed by mining and railroad businesses, but the employees who came before them singled out those with foreign-looking faces for difficulty and job-related concern. By specifically naming the Chinese for exclusion among all other groups in the Act of 1882, the U.S. government reinforced these suspicions and implicitly supported and encouraged racism against the Chinese. It's a harsh stance, especially considering that there weren't many Chinese workers in America at the time to merit any sort of notice. The Chinese challenged discrimination in several ways. They resisted violently at times, like during the Chinese Massacre of 1871. Chinese merchants challenged the policies in court and sued for their rights. They protested through petitions and boycotts. Community leaders advocated for the Chinese and worked to repeal discriminatory laws. The Chinese also drew on their strong cultural values like discipline, mutual aid and endurance to survive difficult conditions. They built supportive