The largest number of immigrants in the United States

America is a country made up of immigrants. According to the census data released in the United States in 20 18, by 20 17, the number of Asians had reached 2 14 19200. Among them, the Chinese are the most, with more than 5.08 million people, breaking through the 5 million mark for the first time.

The first wave of immigrants

In fact, a large number of Chinese have settled in the United States for more than 170 years. Since China immigrated to the United States in 1930s, a small number of China people went to the United States to make a living and lived in exile. 1848 after the discovery of gold mines in California, a large number of Chinese began to emigrate to the United States. By 185 1, the number of Chinese who flooded into California had reached 25,000. In 1960s, the United States urgently needed labor to build the transcontinental Pacific Railway, and specially sent people to China to recruit Chinese workers. 1868, the Qing government sent a Pu delegation to the United States to sign a treaty with U.S. Secretary of State Seward, allowing the United States to recruit workers in China, which is known as the Pu 'anchen Treaty. According to the treaty, both the Great Qing Dynasty and the United States are eager for people to go to other countries, or to be naturalized permanently, or to come and go at any time, always doing whatever they want without hindrance. The treaty also stipulates that the two countries can set up foreign affairs offices in each other's countries. From 65438 to 0870, the number of Chinese in the United States increased to 64 199, to 1880, and surged to 105465.

As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together, and people are divided into groups". Most China people who came to the United States in the early days lived in the same place, and this kind of residence generally has the characteristics of China. For example, in towns, it is generally called "Little Guangzhou" and "Little China"; In mining areas, construction sites or villages and towns, it is generally called "ChinaCamp" or "ChinaAlley". In fact, China people still like to call themselves "Tangren" and to be called "Chinatown" in residential areas. 1853, the word "Chinatown" first appeared in American newspaper reports. However, the "settlement" at that time was not a street, but a district. Only in the past, old overseas Chinese and new immigrants called the whole area Chinatown, and some Chinese translated it into "China City or Chinatown" in English, but it was not as traditional and friendly as "Chinatown". Chinatown is a microcosm of the Chinese community in the United States.

After 1870, the economic crisis occurred in the United States, the unemployment rate soared, and the civil anti-China movement intensified. Some politicians who pursue "white supremacy" racism take the opportunity to attack Chinese in order to cater to voters. 1879, the U.S. house of representatives passed the Chinese exclusion bill for the first time, stipulating that each ship to the United States can only carry 15 China people, but the bill was rejected by the president on the grounds that it violated the existing Sino-US treaty. 1882, the president of the United States formally signed the "Chinese Restriction Act" passed by Congress, which mainly included: stopping accepting Chinese workers within ten years; Workers who leave the United States in China must register and collect evidence on the east coast as the basis for returning to the United States; State and federal courts do not accept citizens of China; China people in the United States need visas from the Embassy and Consulate of China.

Two years later, the US Congress passed the amendment to the Chinese Exclusion Act 1882, which expanded the scope of Chinese workers, such as small traders, fishermen and laundrymen. And stipulates that China workers must obtain a visa from embassies and consulates in China to return to the United States after returning from the United States, but embassies and consulates in China can refuse to issue a visa to return to the United States.

1888 in the election year, in order to cater to the anti-China sentiment of the people, Congress passed a stricter Scott Act, stipulating that once Chinese workers in the United States leave the United States, they are not allowed to return to live in the United States; Chinese workers who have temporarily returned to China are not allowed to return to the United States.

1892 was an American election, and Congress once again passed the Geary bill for Chinese in the United States. The main contents are as follows: All China people who make a living in the United States are illegal immigrants; They must obtain a residence permit within one year, otherwise they will be expelled; 1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act was extended for another ten years. 1904, the US Congress passed a bill to extend the Chinese Exclusion Act indefinitely.

At that time, the Qing government was at home and abroad, and the Ili Incident, the Annan Incident and Japan's annexation of Ryukyu were too busy to protect workers in the United States and China.

Although the American government's Chinese exclusion law interrupted the rapid development of Chinese society in the United States, Chinese businessmen, international students and government representatives were allowed to enter the United States during the period. According to Xing Bi 'ang's 1850- 1990 Immigration Law and Asian Reintegration, by 1940, the total number of Chinese Americans was 106334, which was basically the same as that in 1880. During the 60 years from 1880 to 1940, only 15000 China people entered the country through various channels, with an average of about 2500 people per year.

The second wave of immigration

During World War II, although Japan, Germany and Italy were all axis countries, the United States did not legislate to prohibit people from these three countries from immigrating to the United States, and only China people were most discriminated against. 194 1 After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans began to sympathize with China. Because most Americans couldn't tell the difference between China and Japanese at that time, China reporters who ran news on Capitol Hill pinned a "I'm from China" identity card on their chests. The best-selling Life magazine published photos of China economist Weng Wenhao and Japanese warlord tojo hideki, telling readers how to distinguish China from Japanese. 1943 In February, after Song Meiling delivered a historic speech in the U.S. Congress, the Immigration Committee of the House of Representatives immediately held a hearing to demand the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and Roosevelt expressed his support. The House of Representatives and the Senate successively passed the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was signed by Roosevelt Jr. on February 1943+ 17. The infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which lasted for 6 1 year, officially became history.

After the abolition of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the US government gradually relaxed the entry conditions for Chinese women, most of whom immigrated as "military families" or "military wives". During and after World War II, thousands of China refugees and their families arrived in the United States from Chinese mainland via Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province. By 1960, the proportion of native Chinese in the United States has risen to over 60%.

1965, the United States government promulgated a new immigration law, completely abolishing the previous discriminatory provisions against Chinese, and allocating immigration quotas according to nationality, with a maximum of 20,000 people per country each year. As the United States and China were in a state of "Cold War" at that time, the 20,000 immigrants allocated to China were mainly inherited by the Taiwan Province provincial authorities, and another 200 immigrants were allocated to Hong Kong (1976 increased to 600).

Since the implementation of the new immigration law, the number of China immigrants to the United States has greatly increased. According to the statistics released by the US Immigration Bureau, during the period of 1966- 1975, 205,000 China immigrants entered the United States, with an average of about 20,000 people per year.

The third wave of immigration

From 65438 to 0979, China and the United States formally established diplomatic relations. According to the new immigration law, the original quota of 20,000 immigrants from China was transferred to mainland residents. However, after lobbying by interest groups supporting Taiwan Province Province, in 1982, the US Congress passed a special decree to allocate another 20,000 immigrants to Taiwan Province Province.

In fact, since the reform and opening up in China, the number of China immigrants from Chinese mainland to the United States has started to increase rapidly. In addition, the immigration policy of the United States at that time attached great importance to the introduction of talents, and the gap between China and the United States in economic development level, etc., so many high-quality immigrants from China entered the United States through professional priority. Among them, going to the United States as an international student and then studying in the United States changed to immigration status the most. According to the statistics of Tian Xuenian's "Current Situation of China's Intellectual Resources in the United States", during the period of 1978- 1994, about100000 Chinese mainland students went to the United States for further study, of which about 80,000 obtained master's degrees or above, and 80% were engaged in science and engineering research. Most of them stayed in Sichuan after finishing their studies, except for some who went back abroad. During the period of 1988- 1996, there were16,50 international students from Chinese mainland who received their doctorates in science and engineering in the United States, of whom 14 and 145 (about 85.5% of the total) planned to stay in the United States. Finally, 7,935 people (47.9% of the total) finally stayed in the United States. These China people basically serve American universities and high-tech departments.

Lao Tie asks for praise.