We will compare and contrast two main groups of Asians and their incorporation into American life. First we take a look at the Chinese, why and how they immigrate, and their family structure before and after the immigration. We will discuss how the immigration changes their social and economic structure. We will look at their family hierarchy before and after the migration and we will compare this group of Asian Americans with other Asian American groups.
             Many Chinese came to the United Sates not only to seek their fortunes but also to escape from political and economical problems in China. It is known that the Spanish brought Chinese shipbuilders to California as early as 1571. The real immigration, however, started (in mass) when in 1852, 52,000 Chinese arrived in California in that year alone. They were initially welcomed because of the cheap labor that they provided. The majority of the Chinese were young single men who intended to work in this country a few years and then return to china. The Chinese men who stayed seldom married because of laws severely limiting the immigration of Chinese woman and prohibiting intermarriage with white woman. The result of these laws was a bachelor lifestyle that often associated with prostitution. For example, the ratio of Chinese men to women was about 26:1 in the 1890's.
             The main reason for easy migration of Chinese men was that they provided cheap labor. And it was used mostly in building the transcontinental railroad till 1869. After 1869, the large number of unemployed Chinese had to find work somewhere else. Many of them found new opportunities in agriculture, but this was not gained achieved. There were many people all over the country that were objecting to Chinese immigrants. Intense hostility against the Chinese reached its peak in 1882 when congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. It was intended to suspend the entry of Chinese laborers for a minimum period of 10 ...