Stereotyping in America Through the Centuries

Chinese immigrants in 19th Century America + Conclusion

The Irish weren't the only group of immigrants that faced anti-immigrant sentiment upon arrival. At a time when labor was needed to construct what would go on to be the transcontinental railroad, Chinese were welcomed as part of the work force. Once the railroad was completed, feelings towards the Chinese shifted. The sentiment was based around the notion that the Chinese (and other Asian immigrants alike) were the "yellow peril". One poster, spread around at the time, evokes a sense of urgency upon the white man as it portrays an armed Chinese man on a rampage with the implication that he has done harm to a white woman. The caption reads "The Yellow Terror in All His Glory" to suggest that the Chinese, at their best, are only capable of achieving brute savagery. This notion of incivility can be seen in another poster ​with a caption that reads "Why they can live on 40 cents a day…and they can’t". The image of the left shows a dimly lit, debased living quarters packed full of Chinese men. Conversely, the image on the right depicts a man coming home to his family who are all overwhelmed with glee. In essence, the message being conveyed was that the white man deserves employment because he has a family that depends on him. Meanwhile, Asians were undeserving of the wages because they were accustomed to living in cramped, decrepit spaces.
As long as America has existed as a nation, so too has a population of Americans who discriminate, abuse and target those who are viewed as the "other". Unfortunately, stereotypes and discrimination persisted into the 20th and 21st centuries. The stereotypes that were frequently deployed in 19th century America laid the foundation for future stereotyping practices. Its impossible to disentangle culture from the way we interact and treat one another. 1800's America was marked by efforts to form a national identity and establish dominance in the western sphere of the world. America was successful in its ambitions for conquest and colonization, but at the expense of minority populations. Residual effects from targeted bias and harmful stereotypes continue to exist in our modern world. The damage perpetrated cant be undone, but with an acknowledgement of our own biological predisposition to reduce the complexity of individuals with labels, as well as an awareness of the harmful, far-reaching and often cyclical effects introduced by stereotyping, it is possible for Americans to find new paths that emphasize inclusion over exclusivity, open-mindedness over dogmatic principality, and equality over the subjugation of others.  

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