Show of solidarity

Japanese-Americans came out with Arab-Americans calling for peace and tolerance in Japantown. With terrorists attacks around the world making the news in recent months, the incidents of racially-motivated attacks on Arabs living in United States have increased all over the country. If California have incidents of such attacks, imagine the number of incidents in Middle America. I used to live in the south and southeastern part of the country and I know people who live there are not as liberal as Californians.

This show of solidarity by Japanese-Americans in support of Muslims and Arab-Americans in this country shows that they have not forgotten the internment camps they had to face in World War 2. There are survivors from the camps who were present to voice their opposition to the prejudice that Arab-Americans endured. After all, the Japanese-American survivors experienced the same thing that Arab-Americans are going through right now.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/60518776-story

Rent problem for Chinatown immigrants

The price increase in San Francisco’s rental homes has finally reached Chinatown. It is sad because the majority of people who live in Chinatown do not have a high enough income to keep up with the cost of living in San Francisco. To this day, there are still many new immigrants who just got into this country. They rely on the community to start learning how things are here. That kind of familiar and support environment is what makes them decide to start their new lives there.

As hard as it is with the rental situation that they face, I know they will find a way to make it through because they will face further rent increases over the next few years. Either tighten the budget or work more hours, it is human nature to make things work as hard as things may seem. This has been proven through history by all the different immigrants from all over the world that have come to United States.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/89222443-story

Chinese coolies

Chinese coolies had played an important role in the development of California and other western states. They worked in gold mines, helped build the rail tracks of the Transcontinental Railroad and levees in California. They were paid lower wages and worked longer hours compared to workers from other countries.

What made them come halfway around the world to United States? Life was hard in China in the 19^th century. The country was still ruled by the Qing empire, which was corrupt and weak. Ordinary citizens were mostly poor and there were not many opportunities to advance in life. The possibility of finding work that pays more in another country compared to working in China was a big pull factor for the Chinese to volunteer to become coolies.

Chinese coolies did not just go to United States, they were all over Southeast Asia. There were coolies in China too. Coolies in China were known for working along rivers. Steamboats were not available for rivers so coolies would line up on both sides of the riverbanks and pulled on ropes attached to ships upriver against the current. There were pre-positioned points along the rivers where other groups of coolies would take over from the previous group and continued pulling until the ships reached their destinations.

Chinese coolies knew the kind of work they signed up for. That is probably why they were willing to work long hours of hard labor for less pay.

http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/449-coolies.html

Migrant workers

Migrant workers are an important part of our economy. Without them, prices of produce in our supermarkets would have doubled. If Americans are not willing to do it, we will be forced to import our produce from overseas and that added costs in transportation will also increase prices.

The majority of migrant workers come from Mexico and many of them already have skills in agriculture. They know the best way to harvest different fields and that brings efficiency. After all, who wants to be under the sun or rain any longer than they have to.

Almost all of them are attracted by the pull factor of making more money compared to what they used to make in their home country. Some worked to send money home to their families, some came to make money so they can go back and buy their own land for farming. Whatever the reasons are, they resemble the reasons Europeans migrated to North America during the colonial period. Everyone wanted a better life for their families.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/9960/migrant-farm-workers:-our-nations-invisible-population