The Gold Rush of 1849 brought scores of the hopeful to California, both to mine the hills for treasure, and to build the railroads that would connect the newly wealthy frontier to the rest of the country. Chinese immigrants made up a massive part of this labor force. As they entered the US and the rest of the western workforce in record numbers, however, cultural clashes and racism lead to “the Chinese question”: should western countries allow Chinese immigration at all? In 1882, the United States decided the answer was “no” with the Chinese Exclusion Act. Join us for a discussion led by a Book Chat member of this sweeping history by Mae Ngai, who follows Chinese labor across five continents to show the connection between world economics and racism.
$10 members, $15 nonmembers. Doors open at 6:30; refreshments will be served.
