At this current time in the world, many criticize Donald Trump and America, as a whole, for the treatment of Muslim immigrants. This is nothing new in the US. In fact, discrimination against immigrants has happened multiple times. Ironically, America has often been titled the Land of the Free and The Great Melting Pot, but the past has not reflected this.. Consider past treatment of the Chinese, Irish, and Japanese immigrants.
History Rewind
Mistreatment of Immigrants is Nothing New
Chinese Immigrants
During the 1849 gold rush, Chinese immigrants began entering the United states where their tradition of long hair was seen as unhygenic, unmanly, and uncivilized. Chinese immigrants were also seen as a danger towards the Western culture, Western government, and even as a threat to the Caucasian race.
Irish Immigrants
Irish immigrants were also treated horribly, being portrayed as bumbling, idiotic drunks. Due the to the Great Potato Famine in the 1840's, many Irish immigrants were forced to head to America, mainly making Boston as their home. The population of Irish people grew from 30,000 to 100,000, where 70% of the servants were Irish.
Japanese Immigrants
Pearl Harbor was what Franklin D. Roosevelt would call, "A day that will live in infamy." It was an attack on both America and Japanese-Americans' way of life. The government forcibly moved Japanese-Americans into "relocation centers," which had no running water and very limited heat. Americans had so much fear of Japan that when Roosevelt decided to pass order number 9066 (which cause Japanese Americans to be forcibly relocated) not a single vote was against it. However, America tried to compensate this in the 1980s with financial restitution for all those affected by order number 9066.
By Adrian Garcia
33
