Asian Americans Overview

1. Asian AmericansOverview Introduction Strangers: Racial uniform: who is America? Institutional Racism, exclusion, segregation Racial Identity, ethnic identity Who gets included in history

2. Who are Asian Americans • Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos, Indians, 18-20th century • Since 1975; Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians • 2000 census - 4% of total U.S. population, • Since 1965 Immigration Act, large immigrant communities • Chinese, largest, Filipinos, next • First Asians to settle North America were Manila men in Louisiana, 1763, Malo village descendents, mutiny off Spanish galleon ship

3. PULL/PUSH THEORY OF IMMIGRATION • Pull to America in 19th, early 20th century Modern economy – large scale production such as large agricultural farms, factories, canneries, division of labor, manufacturing Need for labor – no longer self-sufficient economies U.S. crosses borders to fill need because native labor depleted or unwilling to work, slavery abolished in U.S.

4. PULL/PUSH THEORY OF IMMIGRATION • Push to America from home country Political and economic reasons Chinese: Opium wars, heavy taxes, poverty Japanese: economic depression 1880s, heavy land taxes, lost lands, poverty Koreans: Japanese imperialism, faced persecution, poverty, famine Filipinos: U.S. colony, peasants from Ilocos lost lands, poverty; social and cultural affects of American rule Indians: harsh British colonial policies in land tenure system, debt and inability to pay, Punjab

5. Social characteristics of Chinese • contract laborers; credit ticket system (broker loans ticket money) • mainly male in U.S. mainland, • allowed women in Hawaii (HSPA) (Chinese prostitution absent), hostility mainland, prostitution, abducted • Hawaii plantations, California agriculture • 2-1/2 million left China

6. Social characteristics of Japanese • contract laborers; • mainly male, 40-60% 20 yrs old, 25% 30yr • well educated, average 8 yrs school • Middle class farmers, not desperately poor • gov’ts promoted women immigration through picture bride system, workers, literate • 1885-1924: 200, 000 Hawaii; 180,00 to U.S. mainland in 1890.

7. Social characteristics of Koreans • Diverse economic backgrounds, farmers, laborers, students, gov’t clerks • mainly men, young 90% 16-44 yrs. • urban, Christian, • political refugees from Japanese imperialism, • women came with men, picture bride system

8. Social characteristics of Filipinos • Filipinos “American nationals” until 1946 U.S. policies guided immigration to U.S. • westernized Spanish colonization and American colonization, Catholic (90%) • Contract laborers • mainly male, poor, uneducated Ilocos region • Severe unbalance male/female mainland • women promoted Hawaii, stable families

9. Social characteristics of Asian Indians • Punjab Sikh’s • Contract labor • Unskilled laborers, illiterate • Young men 16-35 yrs • Married men w/wives in India

10. Divide/Conquer Strategy • Succession of Asian groups • Planters need for control of workforce • Racially diverse labor force • Discipline work force • Affect unity among workers • Higher profit margins