Becoming American: The Chinese ExperienceSeason 1, Episode 1 of 3 : Gold Mountain Dreams
As civil war and famine ravaged southern China in the mid-19th century, word of the California Gold Rush reached the port of Canton. The prospect of making a fortune in America proved an irresistible lure to young Chinese men. Looking more for a new livelihood than a new homeland, they set sail across the Pacific hoping that hard work and sacrifice would enable them to provide a better life for their families and to return one day to their villages, prosperous and esteemed. But, when the gold strikes tapped out and hard economic times loomed in California, Chinese immigrants faced a wave of violence, terror and discrimination. An epidemic of laws and regulations spread through state and local governments aimed at limiting Chinese immigrant rights and economic opportunities. Anti- Chinese fervor ultimately became a presidential campaign issue, and in 1882 the U.S. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. This landmark legislation was a turning point in American immigration policy.
