Blog 3

I will be comparing the experiences of the Irish and Chinese immigants. Both immigrants went to America to experience freedom from many things. The amount of work both groups went through to survive in the United States was incredible. It was also a battle for the two groups to not be threatened by their culture and assimilation.

Many Irish immigrants did not want to leave Ireland and felt that they were driven out of their homeland by "English tyranny". While in Ireland before their move over seas, almost everyone was extremely poor living off of potatoes and buttermilk so that other products could be sent to England. The potato famine struck in 1845 causing potatoes to turn black. The potato famine caused a huge problem because most families were already dirt poor and only living off of potatoes. The potato famine left a total of one million people to starve to death. Most immigrants that had some money decided to leave Ireland during the famine and went to America for survival. The Irish found jobs, but not great ones, most involving hard labor. They did many of the jobs that blacks were doing, such as building rail roads, being house servants, cooks, and common laborers. Irish immigrants later found themselves exploited as laborers and pitted against workers from other races.


like the Irish immigrants the Chinese immigrants had one main reason to leave their country; harsh economic conditions. However, the Chinese had a huge advantage on the Irish; the Chinese men were were wanted to build the transcontinetial railroad because they are more adapted then other people living in America. Although it is said that the Chinese that worked on the railroad were slaves, they all came willingly to the United States with hopes of a better future. Most migrants at first were men who were illiterate and had very little schooling. The Chinese then started to come to America in large groups in hopes to find gold in California.

As time passed Irish immigrants and the Chinese immigrants had one main thing in common; they were working in the same types of jobs. When the Irish went on strike for higher wages workers hired Chinese immigrants and found out that Chinese could preform the jobs faster than the Irish. This time was extremely challenging for both groups even though the Chinese laborers had a slight advantage of faster labor, they also had a disadvantage with the language they spoke. The Irish were viewed as outcasts at the time and compared to blacks. They were stereotyped as ignorant and inferior and forced to get the bottom rungs of employment. Over time, the Irish became leaders in the labor movement and were able to find over all better jobs. The Irish struggled with ideas of assimilation and had to decide if they were going to preserve their cultural identity, or assimilate. They decided to assimilate in order to have better chances for survival in America. The Chinese on the other hand, became targets of white labor resentment, and many things started going bad for them such as anti-Chinese riots. As time passed Chinese laborers were banned from entering the United States. The Chinese found themselves as victims of racial violence. Although the Chinese and Irish immigrants are not completely alike both groups have had problems with racial violence and segregation. Both The Chinese and Irish immigrants went through difficult times and at some point were negatively stereotyped and treated in the United States. As time passed both groups have assimilated and are not as negatively stereotyped in the United States.