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Immigration Timeline
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A Reason To Leave
The overpopulation in my small home town in China. It is only ten square miles and has 11,000 people. It could also be called a slum. I have had low sales from the rice field since the neighboring rice fields sell rice patties cheaper than mine. I have decided as soon as I can scrap together enough money, I am going to emmigrate out of China. Maybe I will go to America? I heard the land is cheap and I might be able to buy some. -
Arrived on Angel Island
I have arrived on Angel Island. When I got there the doctors said I couldn't go to America because of my leg injury. I was walking in the rice fields and sprained my knee in a mud hole. Anyway, they said America didn't allow cripples and unless I got better in a week, I would get sent back to China. Long story short, a week past and I was sent back to my little town. -
A Second Chance for America
I saw a village herbalist and she gave me treatment to heal my ankle. I then went and sold my rice field to the neighbors so we could make one giant rice field. I am now the co-president of a square mile rice field. I think, since my ankle is healed, I will give America a second chance. -
Through America and to the United States
I just got through Angel Island on the second try and I am headed for San Francisco. I am very hopeful that this will work our for me. -
Living in San Francisco
I made it to San Francisco and I decided to have lunch in a semi-fancy restaruant. I walked in before these Irish men and was served ten minutes after them. Then, I had to pay as much as they both did combine for food. I am starting to think America is an unfair place, but I don't know since I am new. -
A Hosue and a Job
I have been working as a cole miner for a little less than nine months and have got enough money work 12 hours a day to buy a house in a small town south of San Francisco, California. I have realized that the Asian people are treated with lots of unjust and racist comments and viewed as lower life beings. I get paid much less than a white man, but I am still happy coming here. -
Racism Gets Me Fired
Today I got fired because I told someone about how I might tell the boss about the lazy white miners in my group. The leader of my group told the boss that I don't work at all and sit around, even though I work twice as hard as anyone else in the group. I what sent home and loss my week's pay. I was told never to return. -
A New Job and a Family Reunited
I have been working 14 months in a gold mine to scrap together enough money to sent my wife and two sons to America. Last year in July I found a gold mining job for cheap pay to raise enough money to reunite my family. I am having them come soon, maybe in December, -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Because of this act, my family can't move to America now. The act keeps all Asian immigrants in Asia and they can't leave. I am sad to say we will never be united if I stay in America. It is very depressing to all Chinese Immigrants. -
R.I.P
I am struggling to free myself as I am trapped in a underground mine slowly filling with water. I feel the cold water raising higher but it is so dark I can not see. I wish my family the best of luck and love them dearly. I hope they... (Wei Shan passed away when the mine hit a cave in due to a underground lake overhead. At the age of 35, he was a young man and will always be remembered.)
