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Texas Annexation
Texas gained independence from Mexico before being annexed by the United States. After annexation, Mexicans living in Texas were granted U.S. citizenship. However, many Mexican Americans lost their land during the subsequent Mexican-American War. The unclear terms of land grants established during and after the war were often exploited, leading to widespread loss of land among Mexican Americans. -
California Gold Rush- Mexican and Latin Americans
Mexican and Latin Americans were pushed out of California as European immigrants and White Americans migrated westward. Discriminatory taxes targeting "foreign immigrants" and widespread white supremacy further forced their displacement. Labeling Mexican and Latin Americans as "foreign" reflected the racial prejudice of the time, as many White Americans refused to view them as true Americans. -
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Chinese Immigration
Approximately 300,000 Chinese immigrants arrived during this period, driven by political turmoil, famine, and economic hardships in southern China between 1840 and 1850. These challenges led to a significant influx of Chinese immigrants on the West Coast. -
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Mexican and Spanish Assimilation
Mexican and Spanish communities, both urban and rural, were increasingly overwhelmed by European immigrants. Hispanic culture was gradually replaced as communities were pressured to assimilate. European immigrants often exploited Mexican and Spanish Americans, offering low wages and disregarding or eroding their cultural traditions. -
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Gold Rush- Chinese Immigrants
Chinese immigrants formed communities known as "Chinatowns." However, Chinese women were largely barred from entering the country, reflecting discriminatory policies aimed at limiting the growth of Chinese communities in America. Tensions escalated as White Americans blamed Chinese immigrants for low wages and unemployment, sparking anti-Chinese riots in Los Angeles (1871) and San Francisco (1877). -
Expose and Talking Tours - Speeding Up Evolution of Native Americans
White Americans and Europeans viewed their cultures as superior and the pinnacle of development. Speaking tours by Native Americans and white reformers, along with exposés like those by Helen Hunt Jackson, influenced policymakers to accelerate the assimilation of Native Americans. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, prohibiting the entry of Chinese laborers while permitting only teachers, students, merchants, tourists, and officials. This was the first significant restriction on immigration and excluded Asian immigrants from becoming naturalized citizens. Anti-Chinese violence soon erupted, including the Rock Springs massacre in 1885, which left many dead and forced Chinese communities to retreat to Chinatowns or return to China. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The Dawes Severalty Act aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into family allotments to promote independence. However, it clashed with traditional Native beliefs about land ownership. The Act was controversial because most reservation land was sold off by the government, and it failed to end reliance on federal support. -
U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark
The Supreme Court Ruled under Section 1 of the 14th Amendment that Wong was a United States because he was born in the U.S., even though his parents were not citizens. This was a landmark decision that established citizen rights to American born children of non-citizen immigrants. -
Japanese Immigrants
President Theodore Roosevelt halted immigration from Japanese laborers due to the pressure from other white laborers, especially Unionized white laborers. This highlighted the social disdain for Asians at the time, even at the highest level of government, discrimination was apparent.