Borderlands History Essay

Few people are aware of this, but according to the Library of Congress, in the 1890s, almost 107,000 Chinese immigrants came to California, and nearly all of them faced racism. Laurence Yep’s Dragonwings is a story that follows the Lee family and their journey of immigrating to San Francisco in the 1900s. One of the issues the story addresses is the hardships that Chinese people faced when immigrating to the USA. Some people may label an immigration story as “successful”. Success in this context means having a steady lifestyle and gaining self-worth.

There are many ways in which we can view the history of the American West. One view is the popular story of Cowboys and Indians. It is a grand story filled with adventure, excitement and gold. Another perspective is one of the Native Plains Indians and the rich histories that spanned thousands of years before white discovery and settlement. Elliot West’s book, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, offers a view into both of these worlds. West shows how the histories of both nations intertwine, relate and clash all while dealing with complex geological and environmental challenges. West argues that an understanding of the settling of the Great Plains must come from a deeper understanding, a more thorough

Her perspective and personal experiences can help to drive in the point that there are two different generations of Chinese people and how one looks down on the other because of their birth place. Liu’s article is reliable because it is a personal experience of growing up Chinese American and shows the different perspective on how growing up with two different generations of Chinese shaped her life. Maria Liu is also a reliable source because she is a student and writer for the

“America the land of opportunity, to all” has always been a driving force for many people from poor, undeveloped societies far away from America. This simple saying has brought over millions and millions of people from they’re native countries, leaving behind families and friends. Some never to return. Once in America, reality sets in for most of these groups as that suffer thought unequal treatment, racism and discrimination. One such group involved similar treatments were the Chinese- Americans, in the documentary “Becoming American- the Chinese Experience” we are given a first hand looks and descriptions of the hate that Chinese- American suffered in America. This paper will discuss these events including the documentary and class notes, further it will also describe the difference treatment that Chinese- American face in present day compared to the past.

In this changing environment, historians in these fields began “to introduce larger conceptual insights that would resonate across American history.” The cultural term also influenced historians in geographical fields, especially those who studied the American Southwest. These scholars began to draw on Chicano/Latino and Native American history to better study cultural pluralism in the Southwest. While many credit Bolton with the distinction, it may be more appropriate to recognize David J. Weber as the father of modern borderlands history. In the 1980s and 1990s, Weber’s work linked Chicano/Latino and Western history to Bolton’s concept of Borderlands, moving from Turnierian histories of empire and expansionism toward studies of multicultural

Fletcher, M. L. (2006). Looking to the East: The Stories of Modern Indian People and the Development of Tribal Law. Seattle J. Soc. Just., 5, 1.

Chinese-Americans authors Amy Tan and Gish Jen have both grappled with the idea of mixed identity in America. For them, a generational problem develops over time, and cultural displacement occurs as family lines expand. While this is not the problem in and of itself, indeed, it is natural for current culture to gain foothold over distant culture, it serves as the backdrop for the disorientation that occurs between generations. In their novels, Tan and Jen pinpoint the cause of this unbalance in the active dismissal of Chinese mothers by their Chinese-American children.

“Getting Started”. The Ancestral Puebloans. Hewit Institute, University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved November 3, 2014. Web.

Ideally, immigration to America has been noted as a step in the right direction for several years. The concept of the “American Dream” has been one of the main reasons behind immigrants choosing to leave their hometown and in other cases, changes in government and enslavement has led immigrants to the States. It is no wonder why they fight through battles most would have never known existed. Asian American Thuy Lee, is daughter to immigrant parents who escaped Vietnam during the communist takeover. Her story in particular, was a very detailed experience with words that helped me perfectly envision her family’s hardships on

“The Navajo reservation begins over there”. He pointed to the east. “The Pueblo boundaries are over there”. He looked below us to the south, where the narrow trail seemed to come from. “The Texans have their ranches over there, starting with that valley, the Concho Valley. The Mexicans run some cattle over there too” (Silko 765).

During the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century, many Chinese and Japanese people immigrated to the United States, specifically to the West Coast, under the belief that they would be not only be welcomed and accepted but that they would also be able to start fresh with their lives and become successful. However, once they arrived on the coast, they experienced intense inhospitality, mistreatment, and great hardships. Many of them felt that they were misled by the United States promoting friendship and welcoming arms as well as claiming that all American citizens and immigrants alike could achieve the great “American Dream” with a little work.

The Chinese-American Experiences and Hopes v.s Reality In the mid 19th Century, nearly all the thousands of Chinese “immigrants arrived in America from a society in which the needs of the one were sublimated for the needs of the many, where pride was paramount, where ancestors were respected, and where loyalty to the family was all-important” (Yale, “ Chinese Immigration, Exclusion and the Chinese-American experience ”) and expected their new life in America to be just that. At first, the Chinese-American experiences could not have been better, but as time went on, small events began to occur, questioning if what they dreamed for so long was just an expectation. Chinese Immigrants initially came to America for a better life, but what they got

During the 19th century China, poverty and political wars ravaged the lands, and people from all social classes, especially the peasant farmers, struggled to make ends meet. When the Immigration Act of 1965 was passed, the United States of America opened its gates to immigrants from Asia. The Chinese were suddenly granted a new opportunity, and a new wave of immigrants made their journey across the vast Pacific and Indian ocean. Some Chinese managed to return to their homeland, and stories of the new exotic land with chances that can attain “real wealth for a minimum amount of work” sent many to a frenzy to become immigrants.However, following immigrants will experience a different vision of cruelty than what they had expected. The migration

Sui Sin Far’s short story, “In the Land of the Free” touches on the reality of being a Chinese immigrant in late-19th century America. The story revolves around a Chinese couple. The husband is ready for his wife, Lae Choo, to arrive from China with their new son, later named Kim. However, due to policies on immigration, the American government was forced to take possession of the child due to a lack of paperwork. However, Far’s short-story has a deeper meaning than just focusing on unfair immigration policies. She takes advantage of the story’s ending to symbolize a rejection of immigrant culture, most especially Chinese immigrant culture, by taking advantage of Kim’s change in behaviors, appearance, and dialect.

Mexico is one of the most populated and industrialized of the third world nations, yet it remains very impoverished in comparison to it’s northern neighbor. Recently Mexico has been the third largest trading partner of the United States, has become an important exporter of petroleum and plays a pivotal role in the politics of the region. Yet Mexico is frequently treated with neglect and misunderstanding by the United States. This treatment is why Mexico is hesitant about United States influence and investment in Mexico. While many foreign countries acknowledge the United States as a