Welcome back. Im excited to talk to you today because so many of us as americans grew up learning about the history of immigration to ellis island. Its often told is a very uplifting and romantic story where immigrants become americans. Not many of us know the history of immigration through angel island. This is in San Francisco. Its an important site for not only what happens back then in the early 20 century, because it is timely today. When we kick up any newspaper we see headlines like this. Does anyone know what some of these headlines are referring to . Right. This would halt their deportation. This is a controversial action right now. They believe that this executive action exceeds the president s of authority. We know that this is just the latest in our nations immigration debate. There doesnt seem to be an end in sight. How do we consider this immigration debate with what we have been talking about recently . Immigration through ellis island . That story of european immigrants coming to new york passing through ellis island certainly there were examinations, there were physicals. There was some detention, but it was primarily pretty shortlived and most immigrants were admitted pretty easily into the country. Not only that, but this story has taken on a myth of its own. It is the bedrock of this idea that the u. S. Is a nation of immigrants. How do we reconcile this great immigration debate that is going on today and then this idea that we are a nation of immigrants . I think one of the ways that we can think about this constituted complicated history of immigration is through looking at immigration through angel island. Because we know that not all immigrants were welcomed into the country. Not all immigrants were able to achieve their american dreams. But rather, we picked and sifted and chose which immigrants to let in and which immigrants to let out. To keep out. Many times, this really was dependent upon an immigrants race, ethnicity, gender, class this idea of who is fit to become a citizen and who is not. This is the history that is best exemplified through immigration through angel island. This is in the San Francisco bay. It is the other island in the San Francisco bay that is now california state park. So, the immigration station on angel island was open from 1910 until 1940. We primarily think about it as an entry point for immigrants from china and japan. Two thirds of the immigrants who did come through angel island were from those two countries. As you can see, there are over 80 countries represented for the immigration stream that came through angel island according to our research. It ranged from places like denmark, French Indochina to south africa, spain, switzerland. There were people who came south from canada and north from south america. This is a photograph of the Administration Building on angel island. When immigrants would dock, they would land on a. Would land on a pier and go up this and this is the first site they would see. There are three entrances here. Racial segregation was the order of the day. There was an entrance for employees, for whites, and for asians. Within that Administration Building, there were separate waiting areas as well. At all times, the different groups were segregated from each other through this Administration Building. So, when we compare to ellis island, ellis island is primarily enforcing laws that relate to immigrants from europe. It is in new york and most of the immigrants coming over are coming from the atlantic. Angel island is situated in San Francisco. It is primarily enforcing laws that are targeting asia and asian immigrants and the laws are very, very different. While ellis island is an mostly processing center, angel island is a place of interrogation, health examinations, and detention. This history is not as wellknown, but it is important because it helped shape our modern immigration system. Lets take a look at who these agent immigrants were. When we think about this great era of immigration, there are two great eras of immigration. One is the one we are living in today and the other is around the turn of the century from 18301930. There are 35 Million Immigrants who come during this century of migration. The vast majority are from europe. This is about one Million Immigrants from asia and another one million come from latin america. In the big picture, this is just a drop in the bucket, right . One million out of 35 million who are coming. It is pretty diverse. There are about 450,000 chinese, the largest group. There is also 380,000 japanese. 150,000 filipinos. 70009000 koreans and south asians. South asia is the term that was used to describe immigrants from india, pakistan, and then was d and bond withangladesh. Remember, theres only one million of them but asia and immigration helps to ignite some of our most divisive immigration debates. Who were these immigrants . The chinese they are like the european immigrants that we study. They are mostly young, male laborers. They want to come to the u. S. They think their stay is temporary, they will make money, return home. That is why they come alone, even if they are married. They tend to leave their wives and children behind. Over the years, they decide eventually that they would like to stay in the u. S. So they start calling for their family members. Similarly, the japanese are also male laborers. Remember, this is a time when immigrants are needed for their labor. It is for railroad building, agricultural work, Light Industry in the streets. Japanese are also male laborers. They are more educated than some of the other agent immigrants because of education in japan. They also come thinking they will stay only temporarily but over time, again, like the chinese, they decide the u. S. Is worth settling down in and they start calling for their wives to come as well. By world war ii, the japaneseamerican population is such that there is really a great proportion of usborn children. This is very different from the other groups. The immigrants you are coming from south asia are really extremely diverse. There is a mixture of hindus muslims, but primarily they are from one area which is presentday india and pakistan. There are both male laborers but increasingly, there are a lot of students coming over. One of the things that makes this group pretty unique is that this is a time of intense indian nationalism and the immigrants coming over are very much a part of the nationalist movement. Koreans are a small group because it japan has colonized korea by this time. Japan is very much controlling who goes in and who leaves the country. Only a small number of koreans are coming over to the u. S. Primarily to the west coast and hawaii. They also are coming for work but more so than other groups. They really see themselves as refugees. Similarly to the russian jews we were studying last week. They are fleeing japanese colonialism. Korean language was banned newspapers were banned. There was a lot of surveillance. They see themselves as refugees fleeing their homeland. Potentially, staying away for a long time. They come as a families. One of the other things that makes them unique or different from other asian immigrants groups is that they are often christian because of the role of u. S. Missionaries in korea at this time. It is a Diverse Group of people coming. The last group are filipinos. They are coming as male laborers but again, what makes them unique is that they are coming as a totally different immigrant status and not as an immigrant status. The philippines have been colonized by the u. S. When they migrate, they migrate as u. S. Nationals. This is a different legal category. They are not subjected to immigration laws, which is important. It is every other immigrant group they can come without interrogations and inspections. They have seen themselves as americans. They have grown up with american culture, teachers, believing about the glory and riches of america. They believe they are coming to another part of the country, that they are already americans. But, they are unequal in status. U. S. Nationals allows them to migrate but they are not citizens. They cannot vote. When they come, they often face a lot of surprising antiasian sentiments. When they come, they set in motion the reaction that americans have to them it sets in motion some of the most divisive immigration debates we have ever had in this country. This may be surprising to many people because today, when we talk about asianamericans, we talk about the popular understandings that they are on the rise. What is the stereotypes of asianamericans . They are smart. What else . They are a particular type of minority. Do you remember the term . They are the model minority. Prof. Lee what does that mean . Out of all marginalized groups, they are exemplary and constitute a narrative that the rest of marginalized people should subscribe to. Prof. Lee so they can succeed they can achieve economic, academic success and they do sell on their on without government programs. Asianamericans are the model minority. That is the stereotypes today. It may be surprising in the early 20th century, they were considered not only undesirable immigrants but also foreigners to such a degree that the u. S. Wanted to not only reduce their numbers but exclude them altogether. Historians describe this power of antiasian sentiment with this quote. The presence of asians on american soil highlighted fundamental cleavages. Meaning they were the first noneuropean immigrant group to come in such great numbers. They came at a time that there was class tensions, changing race relations, this was postcivil war, post reconstruction. These ideas about what does it mean to be an american, to be free, to be a worker, what rights do we have . And what is the role of the u. S. In the world . All of these things are ripe with all of these massive changes in american society. Some of the ways that antiasia n sentiment plays out is through prejudice, bias, prejudgment , economic discrimination, political disenfranchisement. Remember the nationalization act that said only free white persons can become citizens . Already, agent immigrants are barred from becoming natural citizens. Physical violence. Immigration exclusion, which is what we will be talking about mostly today. Social segregation. You cannot join certain clubs, live in areas. During world war ii, incarceration. The Mass Relocation and incarceration of japanese americans. What did this look like in person . What did this look like in reality and on the ground . This is a cartoon from 1881 in San Francisco. It is from a magazine called the lost. I am going to ask you to tell me what you see. What is this cartoon telling us about what americans think about chinese immigration at this time . Yes. Well, it appears to be a sort of a reaction to what is perceived as overwhelming numbers of chinese immigrants and it is macabre of the statue of liberty but it is this image of conquest because it is standing on a skull. It is clearly a chinese man due to the long braid. It is definitely this sort of era image of new york. Prof. Lee good. What is the title of the cartoon . A statue for our harbor. Prof. Lee right. In San Francisco as opposed to new york. In new york, they have a statue of liberty welcoming european immigrants. In San Francisco, this is what our statue would be if we allow chinese immigration to come without restrictions. A couple things that jeremy just mentioned. We can recognize this as a chinese male. He has this long hairstyle. This hairstyle was mandated by an empire, but in the u. S. It , became a sign of femininity, exotic , sub humanness. He is wearing robes. They are very tattered. This is not the classical greek figure. It has no dignity. He is standing on a skull, meaning that he is bringing ruin. Does anyone see what he is holding in his left hand . Joy. And opium pipe . Prof. Lee yes. Another symbol of the vice of chinese immigration. They are bringing drugs and immorality. There is rioting emanating from the writing emanating from the ring around his head. Can you see what that is . It is hard to see from the middle. The bottom right is filth. What else . Immorality. Prof. Lee good. Up on top . Disease. Prof. Lee disease. We are reading right to left as the chinese would. This one says ruin. Can anyone point out those last two . Ruin to white labor. Prof. Lee right. So, chinese immigration is bringing filth, immorality disease to white labor. It is catastrophic to San Francisco, to california. The foundation of the statue is crumbling. The ships coming are capsizing. The moon has slanted eyes and the moon in the background has slanted eyes. This is the future of california, the future of the u. S. This is not an outlier. This is not a far right or far left or extreme example about this antiimmigrant sentiment. This is one of the most well respected, well read illustrated magazines in the late 19th century. What is the effect of some of this popular sentiment . One is through violence. There are countless episodes of the chinese being driven out literally with mobs driving them out of small towns like eureka california as well as big cities like tacoma and seattle. This is an illustration of one of the wellknown incidents, the massacre of chinese at rock springs, wyoming in september, 1885. It happened around a mining incident. Some of the white workers and Chinese Workers were debating whether they wanted to go on strike. The white workers went on strike, the chinese decided not to and the white workers drove them out after inflicting massive violence on this group. There are about 28 who are killed. 15 wounded and hundreds are driven out into the outlying areas. This is some of the sentiment that is shaping chinese immigration but one of the really fascinating aspects of this history is remember how diverse all those agent immigrants groups were . 202 7488000 never the less, one this idea of chinese immigrants as being a threat to the u. S. A class threat, a racial threat, and economic threat it became attached to other immigrant groups as well. The newspapers would say chinese excluded but now we have a japanese problem. Or, now the hindus are coming. They kept on calling them another invasion. It kind of got a little ridiculous because there was the second is the attic asiatic invasion and the second and it became this typology that was framing the threat of asia and immigration. It had very real consequences. On the left is a newspaper clipping from the york times New York Times in 1907. This is more troubling, i think. This is a private letter that was sent to a townsman in california. It was collected and archived at the uc berkeley archives. This is from the 1930s. A threat to expel the filipinos or they would inflict violence on the town. Japanese immigration perhaps invoked a more broadscale and Even International concern will which was called the yellow peril. One element was the familiar refrain japanese immigrants were racially inferior, they were taking away jobs, they were mixing with whites. The second aspect more unique to japan and japans rising power in the world. They are an empire. They defeated russia in 1904. They have colonized korea. There is this idea of an agent asian empire that is infusing that antijapanese sentiment with even greater force. They are even more of a danger because those japanese emigrant farmers picking your strawberries may be the first advance guard from a colonizing japan. This was the rhetoric in the 1920s and 30s. Japanese immigrants in california, hawaii, oregon, and washington were soldiers in disguise and would be ready to do this. Anyone recognize the artist . Dr. Seuss. What does this say . What does this mean to you . 1942. That day is significant. There is an element of malfeasance and premeditation with the coming of the japanese. The cartoon implies they have some sort of connection with the government of their country of origin and their willing to act on the desires of that government should they be called to do so. Prof. Lee how so . What are they going to do . Blow up something. The little boxes they are carrying say tnt so it is assumed they will do some sort of damage. Prof. Lee what about the ways in which they are drawn, the number of them . There are a number of them in a variety of different cloaks. In a different clothing but all of the faces are the same and that perpetuates the stereotype that all asians look the same. It also speaks to the stereotype that the japanese act as a unit. They are uniform and that only contributes to this militarizing portrayal of the japanese. Prof. Lee good. Remember the statue for our harbor . What was the chinese guy wearing . Was he wearing typical western dress . He was wearing really tattered robes. Prof. Lee yes. He was wearing robes. Either you could read it as he is wearing classical greek robes like the statue of liberty but they got tattered or chinese robes. These japanese immigrants are wearing western suits. They are assimilated to a degree. They are westernized to a degree, which makes them even more of a threat because you cannot tell that they are really the enemy within. You cannot tell they are not loyal but in fact, deep down inside, they are just waiting for the signal from home. They are up and down the Pacific Coast. It is almost like a homing beacon. The signal from home is coming. This guy is looking across the pacific waiting for it. Pearl harbor has come and now it is time to cause even more damage from within. There are various different types of antiasian sentiments. All of them at their root describe asian immigrants as not american, always asian. Immigrants that are dangerous and cannot be assimilated. Dangersous for several different reasons, but for the japanese, it is about national security. Then we know that by 1942, japaneseamericans up and down the west coast are forcibly removed. There are Exclusion Orders posted at every street corner. They are ordering anyone with japanese ancestry to remove themselves. They are barred from living in those areas. And to assemble at various Different Assembly centers where they will be incarcerated for the duration of the war at several camps throughout the u. S. This is one of the ways in which this asia and immigration story ends. Before we get to that, we want to consider the other aspects. The other paths. That path was barring new immigrants from coming over. Yo