Table of ContentsHow did Chinese immigrants come to America?The contribution made by Chinese immigrantsThe hopes, sacrifices and struggles of first-generation Chinese immigrantsTrump as American Dream BlockerConclusionWorks CitedAmerica is a country that was founded and built by immigrants. Diversity is the character for which we are proud of our country. It is known as a melting pot of different cultures and identities; or, at least, that's what we're led to believe. It brings to its shores people from all over the world who yearn for acceptance and a piece of the American dream to build a better life. However, since Trump took the reins of the House, the images of acceptance and hope that drew so many people to the United States have been replaced by signs reading "get out" and "go back." Immigration policies change so frequently and so dramatically these days thanks to the president with the most unstable mental state; it seems that the American dream is becoming more and more inaccessible, especially for Chinese immigrants. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay How did Chinese immigrants arrive in America? Since the 19th century, immigrants from China have continually searched for their way to come and settle here in the United States of America. There have been three major waves of Chinese immigration to the United States in Chinese American history. The very first Chinese arrived in the United States around 1815 for the Sino-American maritime trade, and the first wave went from there. At first, only a handful of Chinese came, mainly as merchants and former sailors. Since then, the Chinese have continued to come to the United States and their numbers each year were higher than the last. In 1880, there were more than 300,000 Chinese in the United States: a tenth of California's population at the time – mainly from the province of Canton (Guangdong) – who wanted to make their fortune during the gold rush in California in 1849. The second wave began during World War II. The Magnuson Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943, was proposed by U.S. Representative (later Senator) Warren G. Magnuson of Washington and signed into law on December 17, 1943. It was mainly because at the time, China had become a welcome ally of the United States. In the late 1960s and early and mid-1970s, Chinese immigration to the United States came almost exclusively from Hong Kong and Taiwan, creating the Hong Kong American and Taiwanese American subgroups. Immigration from mainland China was almost non-existent until 1977, when the PRC removed emigration restrictions, leading to the immigration of students and professionals. These recent groups of Chinese have tended to cluster in suburban areas and avoid urban Chinatowns. The third wave began in the early 1980s and continues today. In addition to students and professionals, the third wave of recent immigrants consisted of undocumented foreigners who left for the United States in search of low-status manual jobs. These aliens tend to concentrate in heavily urban areas, particularly in the New York and Los Angeles area; and there is often very little contact between these Chinese and higher-level Chinese professionals. Beginning in the 1990s, the demographics of the Chinese American community shifted in favor of immigrants from Chinamainland rather than Taiwan or Hong Kong. Until 2016, the main admission class for Chinese immigrants entering the United States was through the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. Just over a third (30,456) of these immigrants entered this way. American legislation is considered to favor this entry point. Additionally, employment-based preferences are considered third in importance. This entry mode represents 23% of the total. The HB-1 visa is considered a primary entry point for Chinese immigrants. “Chinese immigrants now make up the largest group of annual arrivals to this country. The Census Bureau says China has replaced Mexico as the top country of origin for legal immigrants to the United States since 2013." With China now becoming the second-largest economy, why are some people trying yet to come to America, whatever the cost? Because “many of the familiar tropes of the American idea and experience – the ever-rising expectations (that tomorrow will be better than today), the entrepreneurial spirit, the sanctity of the home, the The seductiveness of wealth, the pressure of success, our perverse fascination with "hope" and "change", and the belief that "anything is possible" are all rooted in the Dream, and this is what believe many people in China. As Freud said: “We are so constituted that we can derive intense pleasure only from the contrast and very little from the condition itself. » The contribution made by Chinese immigrants Since the first wave of Chinese arrived in the United States, Chinese immigrants have made enormous contributions to help build America, generation after generation, “FOB” (“Fresh-off- the-boat", referring to first-generation immigrants) and "ABC" ("America-born-Chinese", referring to American citizens born in the United States with Chinese ethnic origin). After the Gold Rush ended in the 1860s, the majority of the immigrant workforce found employment in the railroad industry. Chinese labor was integral to the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, which connected the eastern United States rail network to California on the Pacific coast. Construction began in 1863 at the terminal points of Omaha, Nebraska and Sacramento, California, and the two sections were merged and ceremonially completed on May 10, 1869, at the famous "Golden Spike" event at Promontory Summit, Utah. He created a nationwide mechanized transportation network that revolutionized the population and economy of the American West. This network made the wagon trains of previous decades obsolete, exchanging them for a modern transportation system. Building the railroad required enormous labor for the crossing of the plains and high mountains by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad, the two privately chartered companies supported by the federal government that built the line respectively around the west and the east. Due to the lack of white European construction workers, in 1865 large numbers of Chinese laborers were recruited from the silver mines, as well as later contract laborers from China. On May 10, 1869, Chinese employees of the Central Pacific Railroad laid the last rails of the first transcontinental railway line. The Chinese brought not only their brawn, but also their intelligence and skills. "The newspaper noted that the Chinese were particularly clever at aligning roads and could "draw a more precise line over a longer distance with the eye alone than the"most white men cannot do it with instruments." The Chinese foremen, who spoke English, were "very intelligent men" and demonstrated "a thorough knowledge of railway matters." Thousands of Chinese immigrants made this possible. After the first wave, more Chinese continued to immigrate to the United States in the second and third waves; Chinese immigrants are continually making contributions to the United States; big or small, they all help make the United States a great country. Especially first generation immigrants, they usually make the greatest sacrifices for their American dreams. The hopes, sacrifices, and struggles of first-generation Chinese immigrants. Chinese Americans' American dreams are exactly the same as yours, just a harder version to achieve. , especially for first-generation immigrants. Usually, first-generation Chinese immigrants are the most willing and motivated to put in the effort, and often sacrifice, to achieve their American dreams. They believe in the fair results of hard work, they believe in the power of education. They left their hometowns and all that they have behind them to come here because they believe in what the American dream promises: “that dream of a land in which life should be better, richer and more fulfilled for every man”; they are trying their best to build a better life and provide the next generation with a better environment to grow up in, better education to ensure a better future. This is their hope, they firmly believe in traditional American dreams. But discrimination against them because of their “FOB” membership, their cultural differences, their English skills and, in general, their status as Chinese is deeply rooted in dominant society. On the other hand, the American dream appears to be particularly difficult to achieve for first-generation Chinese immigrants, not least because the immigration process itself is difficult enough. After understanding “How to Get Here” and “How to Stay,” they still need to find answers to questions like “How to Settle and Establish” as well as “How to Thrive and Prosper.” They cling to their hope and belief to see through all these struggles. Trump as a Blocker of the American Dream Although things have improved considerably for Chinese immigrants since the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in the 19th century, it appears that these are tough times once again, and getting worse , all thanks to Donald Trump. It is no longer a secret that Donald Trump is very racist and anti-immigration. U.S. immigration policies, strict but once reasonable, have changed dramatically under Trump. Today, as a Chinese-American, individual history, origins, or nationality make no difference. Anyone who looks Chinese is inextricably linked to the People's Republic of China. And as American leaders have made clear, the Chinese people are now seen as potential enemies. For many people in the United States, the Chinese people are considered synonymous with the Chinese government. This is a strange sentiment coming from a country where the public, media and other government officials openly and loudly contradict and disapprove of official policy. And the trade war with China triggered by Donald Trump has aggravated this complex situation. Along with the trade war, Chinese students, academics and entrepreneurs in the United States have recently been caught, 2006.