I actually learned quite a lot from the Lee reading and the film about the histories of Asian migration to the Americas. Europeans were extremely interested in Asia. They thought of it as the “polar opposite” of them since they had heard about Asia’s resources, riches, and culture. What really surprised me was that the transcontinental railroad was funded by Asians. Like they said in the video, many knew that an influx of Asians came to this country to work on the railroad, but what was not widely known is that Asians backed the project financially. They were advised to invest in the United States because of how the nation was formed. The nation was won from the tyranny of England, who had imposed their way upon Asian nations. The man most notable from the victory, George Washington, didn’t become emperor of the nation once it was free from British rule. This was new to Asian nations, so one would assume that these nations saw potential in the U.S.’s future. What I believe motivated Asian groups to move to the Americas was imperialism. European influence spread across Asia, as well as Japan trying to compete. Countries such as England, Spain, The Netherlands, and Portugal had traveled to Asia and began taking over. In order to escape this imperialistic influence, many Asians migrated to the Americas. Other Asian migrants were shipped to the Americas as slaves and indentured laborers. These groups of people included those from China and The Philippines. The groups landed in Mexico, Cuba, and Peru after their voyage.
I believe these stories compare very similarly to the stories we here about immigration today. We often hear stories about people of certain nations seeking refuge in other nations. This can be said about many countries, not just those from Asia. The difference is that it is not too often we hear about slaves, indentured laborers, and sex workers. Although, that may be what the media is feeding to us. I think the reason for migration have changed today because those migrating to another country may be doing so seeking what they perceive to be a better life. They may hear stories from people they know who have migrated to another country and believe it is better than the life they are currently living. They may believe that this new land is full of opportunities for them to grow and for their family to live comfortably. What I believe has stayed the same is that people might be migrating in order to escape something. I believe that there are horrible things going on around the world and some people may no longer want to deal with that. The only way to escape that is to leave the only place you have ever known as home.
