What I learned was that most migrants migrate because they want(ed) to contribute and make the U.S wealthy (according to the video) and that’s something that people tend to overlook that, and what still surprises me is the Boston Tea Party and how millions of pounds of tea in the Boston harbor to protest British control, and instead of paying Europeans wanted to exchange goods with with china. Also the British was so desperate to they started trading opium with China. But didn’t China already have problems with drugs before? why smuggle opium?. Also, trading, settling, and because of wealthier countries conquering Asia motivated some Asians to leave, people from China, Japan, the Philippines ,etc. and settled in places like Mexico, Cuba, and Peru. What I also noticed is that Afong Moy was being treated like she was some type of object for entertainment, they alienated her for her bound feet and I say “alienate” because the chapter says that “European travelers describe the bizarre creatures, alien plants and strange customs of the “East”… “other world”” so China and Chinese were exotic and different.
These stories about immigration back then differs drastically than what we hear about today’s immigration because back then people could come and settle without any problem, but now once the Government and ICE finds out about any undocumented people or people who overstayed, they throw them in caged and separate them from love ones without proper court hearings. The reasons I think that these conditions changed is because of selfishness and the U.S don’t want to deal with other people “steal their jobs”.
I agree with you. I didn’t like the way they treated them and actually felt kind of hurt when reading the article and they called them “alienated.” Just because each country has different practices doesn’t mean that any country who views it differently deserves to be called “alienated.” I also don’t like how they were treated and when I was writing my DB didn’t think about how many families get separated in today’s standards.
I agree with you. I also don’t like the way the Government and ICE handle people without document or overstays, there are reasons why they come to US even if it illegal. I also agree about the selfishness and US don’t want to deal with other people “steal their jobs” plus the “jobs that was steal” is all jobs that US don’t want to do.
Hey Yvenson,
I think that China’s issues with drugs actually began because of Western influences incorporating opium into trade… but I could be entirely incorrect. To my knowledge, opium has been the largest source of addiction in Chinese history, but I’d be curious to do more research into that! The treatment of Afong Moy is definitely cruel and echos the othering so common to Asians today. Seen as a completely different species with “exotic” customs we definitely still have forms of that today (i.e. people’s fascinations with Japan, stereotypes of tiger moms and subservient and/or hyper sexual geisha girls, etc.)
I think immigration conditions have evolved partially because of the fact that immigration may be more regulated/common now. I also wonder if immigration was similarly harsh back then, but we just have more access to knowledge now. ICE though, definitely is disgusting and horrible, regardless of circumstance.