Asian Americans: Now and Then: Rise of Asian Americans

Who is an Asian American or Asian Pacific American? According to the Census Bureau, it is any American born in Asia or on a Pacific Island or descended from a person who was.  According to the Census Bureau, these were 17 different Asian race and ethnic categories used in the 2000 Census : Asian Indian; Bangladeshi; Cambodian; Chinese, except Taiwanese; Filipino; Hmong; Indonesian; Japanese; Korean; Laotian; Malaysian; Pakistani; Sri Lankan; Taiwanese; Thai; Vietnamese; Other Asian.

Asian Americans were among America's earliest settlers and have long been part of its history.  Large-scale Chinese immigration began with the Gold Rush in 1849.  For more than three decades, their labor contributed to the rapid economic development of the new nation.  Between 1849-1880, over 200,000 Chinese entered America.  The gold they mined filled the Treasury, and without their muscle, the transcontinental railroad that tied the country together and created a national economy would have been delayed for years.  They tilled the soil and fed the settlers streaming West.  However, when the economy faltered, the Chinese, despite being pioneer settlers, became victims of prejudice and persecution.  They became the focus of an "anti-coolie movement", comprising white unionists.  Immigration measures were passed in 1882 to prevent further migration from China.  For more information, consult Ellis Cashmore's Dictionary of Race and Ethnic Relations.