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Longing for

Belonging

Chinese Americans in the United States are yet to be accepted
into the American melting pot

By Hayley Wong in Connecticut

here are you from?” American Community Survey One- and Europe, Chinese immigrants at
“I am from Geor- Year Estimates” by the U.S. Census that time were primarily male man-
“Wgia.” Bureau. ual labourers. They went to the West
“No, but you must be from some- Chinese immigrated to the United Coast to search for low-skilled jobs,
where else.” States for different reasons, and the ranging from agriculture and mining
Born and raised in the United history could be dated back to the to railroad construction.
States, Chinese Americans are no dif- mid-19 century. The second wave began after the
th
ferent from other American citizens. implementation of the Immigration
But their identity is often questioned, Migration history of Chinese and Nationality Act in 1965, which
as their surnames carry a special ac- Americans removed racial barriers favouring
cent. The first wave of immigration be- professionals. Chinese immigrants
About 4.95 million Chinese re- gan in the 1850s. According to the Mi- during that period were mostly skilled
sided in the United States, accounting gration Policy Institute, a think tank labour who worked in commercial
for 24 per cent of the Asian American that researches on immigration and sectors.
population, according to the “2015 integration policies in North America Chinese immigrants have been