The Statue of Liberty, our mother of freedom and refuge, said "Send me your huddled masses yearning to be free" with that they came, but when they arrived they were persecuted and received little to no opportunity. Though many people believed that America was "The city upon a hill", this secluded city only applied to "Americans" not to immigrants.
             Chinese men arrived in California in search of refuge, but when the arrived too soon they figured out that America was not a land of refuge and opportunity. The Chinese had the good worth ethic and were willing to work for cheaper labor, led to laws that discriminated against the Chinese trying to limit their immigration. The Chinese were not allowed to testify in court against a white man, and were victims of "racist savagery". The Exclusion Law of 1882 stated that labor workers were not allowed to come into the country and work for another 10 years. The Geary Act of 1892 extended The Exclusion Law of 1882 for another 10 years, and required that all residents must have certificates of residency with details about the person and a picture. These acts were an indirect way to prevent the Chinese people from working and adding more competition to the job market. Fortunately their plans to prevent Chinese migration didn't work, they continued to come because of their determination to help their family back home, not because of America the so called land of refuge and opportunity.
             The Irish too came to America in search of a better life during the Potato Famine. Just like the Chinese they too realized that they'd have to be patient, and work for lower wages. In many windows and gates of factories there laid a sign inscribed with the acronym NINA. Meaning No Irish Need Apply. They were forced to live in "squalor". There was also racism towards the Irish, many comics made poked fun at them and their heavy drinking. Most of all the ...