-
Cheng in America!
My husband, Cheng, has immigrated to America to find work. In China, there is much economic unruest because of the high unemployment rate. Both he and I have lost our jobs, and it is time that we immigrate to build a new life for us. We have heard that there are countless jobs and opportunitites in America, so my husband is going to first immigrate to America and establish a reliable job. Then, he will notify me by letter that it is time for me to travel to America to meet him there. -
Period: to
Timespan
-
Cheng Finds Work!
Cheng has been employed at a steel mill in New York City! That means that I can now meet him in America! I am so thrilled to finally get to see him again; I have missed him with all of my heart. In his letter, he said that America is a land full of promise and opportunity, and that he has heard that there are jobs for women in a fabric factory close to where he works. We will be back on our feet in no time! -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
Much to my dismay, the Chinese Exclusion Act has been passed. The law states that all Chinese immigrants are banned from coming to the U.S. for ten years. That means that I will have to wait 10 years to immigrate! The U.S. passed the law because they are afraid that too many jobs will be taken up by immigrants and that the Chinese population will grow too big. I cannot express the loneliness I am feeling without Cheng with me, and now we must wait for 10 years to see eah other again! -
Finally in America 10 Years Later!
At last! After 10 of the loneliest years of my life, I am finally in America with Cheng! The journey was very long and hard; we had to travel all the way around America to Ellis Island because there is no immigration station in the West. It was quite nerve-wracking to travel all alone and go through the difficult immigration process at Ellis Island. It was quite worth it though! I am ecstatic to be reunited with my husband and to be in America after all of those years of waiting! -
Grueling Work
Wow, is the New York fascinating! It is what people call a "melting pot", where there are numerous different nationalities of people in one city, all with their cultures mixing together. I work at a fabric factory with many immigrants. We work 14 hour days, with a 30 minute lunch break. The working conditions are horrible, and people call the factory a "sweatshop" because of it. Good thing that I've made a friend, though! She immigrated from Poland, and she is quite nice. -
Cheng Loses His Job
Cheng has lost his job. The steel mill owner was firing people sue to budget cuts, and the Chinese were his first choice. The racism towards the Chinese is getting so degrading! Luckily, we have heard by word-of-mouth that there are many jobs working on the transcontinental railroads in the West. So, we have decided that it is time we move West. I am hoping that people in the West have better attitudes towards the Chinese, and also that the jobs are as promising as people have said they are. -
Life on the Railroad
Good news! Cheng has gotten a job with the Union Pacific Railroad Company! The railroad company provides shelter for workers and their families, so we are currently living with the railroad company. We move our shelters quite often because the workers lay more and more tracks every day, Hopefully, we can one day settle in a town or city in the West where we can have a place of our own... -
New Friends
Livng at the railroad camp, we have made some great new friends. They immigrated from China as well (like many of the workers here), and their names are Wei and Ling. They plan to move to a city in California called San Francisco. According to them, in San Francisco there is a marvelous neighborhood called Chinatown that is just what the streets of China are like! Wei and Ling told us that they are going to visit San Francisco soon, and that they want us to come with to find a place to live! -
Searching for a Home in San Francisco
San Francisco is truly a remarkable city! No wonder why Wei and Ling spoke so highly of it when they told us about it. We have traveled to many places in the city, but we felt most at home in Chinatown because we felt like we were back home in China! The familiar smell of Chinese food cooking, the sight of Chinese architecture, and the sound of our native language made us feel right at home. Now, we are searching for an apartment to share with our friends in Chinatown. I am so excited! -
Settled in Chinatown!
Cheng, Wei, Ling, and I have found an apartment that we are sharing in Chinatown. We've been living in the apartment for about two months now, and we are finally feeling settled in. We live in a tenement, which is a very worn down, overcrowded, and dirty apartment building. Despite the imperfections of the tenement, we are so glad to live here! We feel so welcomed in Chinatown! Even though it was a time-consuming journey, Cheng and I are so glad that we immigrated to America!
