Immigrant NYC, Episode 4: Becoming Chinese-American (1836-2020)
Channel: Samuel Finesurrey, Ph.D.
Date: 2020-04-06

This episode begins by exploring the reason why Chinese immigrants sought to leave China and come to the United States. It then documents Chinese perseverance overcoming the obstacles of structural racism to form a flourishing community in New York City. 

Taking viewers on a journey from China to California and then to New York this story is one of tragedy, perseverance and extreme intolerance by US citizens and authorities. Initially arriving to work in the gold mines of California, Chinese men faced harsh conditions and were often brutalized because white miners viewed them as competition. As the mines dried up a shift in the community to the railroad and as laundrymen became quite common. Chinese women were largely restricted from entry to prevent the development of Chinese families in the U.S., however many were smuggled into the U.S. and forced to become sex workers. With extreme intolerance on the West Coast a large number of Chinese immigrants arrived in New York City looking to build a life for themselves and their community. They did so, but internal conflict brought on by lack of opportunity provided to them by US authorities brought great pain to the community. Still the Chinese enclave in New York City and elsewhere throughout the United States overcame racist immigration laws and flourished, continuing to grow stronger to this day.