Introduction
Indigenous people and immigrants in the United States have long been subjected to discrimination and segregation. White people have always tried to show their superiority over people of color through various forms of domination. It created social and economic inequalities in society that persist to this day.
Discussion
For example, Chinese immigrants who came to America during the Gold Rush were forced to work in mines and fields. It was hard and low-paid work, like transforming Californian agriculture from wheat to fruit. Moreover, employers often preferred to hire white people, leaving immigrants without the opportunity to earn money. Moreover, the indigenous population, “owning” the lands, did not have the opportunity to dispose of them freely. People could work on the land, but they could not sell it because it did not belong to them by law.
Another clear example of segregation is the redlining law. According to this law, the cities were divided into more and less favorable areas, which determined the desire of banks to issue loans to people to buy real estate in the neighborhood. People of color often had significantly lower salaries than white people, so they were forced to settle in the hazardous areas marked in red. Moreover, the seller could deliberately inflate real estate prices for black people, which was not considered a violation of the law. As a result, the city was divided into white and black neighborhoods, and the authorities practically did not finance the areas where people of color lived, which led to poverty and decline.
However, people of color often showed resistance to discrimination and oppression. For example, in 1882, Chinese workers went on strike to raise wages. Even though the demands of immigrants and the indigenous population were often not met, resistance took other forms. One of these forms can be considered self-employment. If the government did not allow people to earn money by working for existing companies, they often opened their shops, restaurants, and laundries. Such practices were widespread in black neighborhoods as well as among Chinese immigrants. Furthermore, living in ethnic communities prevented the complete assimilation of people into American society.
Conclusion
Therefore, they continued their culture and ethnic traditions in the new country. For example, the inhabitants of Chinatown continued to wear national clothes and engaged in traditional leisure activities.