Early Emigration & Immigration: Three Waves of Asian Immigration to the US

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the early waves of Asian immigration to the United States, focusing on terms that encapsulate significant legislation, social patterns, and experiences of Asian immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act

The 1882 law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the US, marking the first significant law restricting immigration based on nationality.

Labor Migration

The movement of workers, particularly in the context of the first wave of Asian immigration (1850-1924), where individuals immigrated to the US primarily for job opportunities.

Sojourners

Male immigrants who intended to stay temporarily in the US to work and later return to their home countries.

War Brides

Women who immigrated to the US after marriage to American servicemen, significant in immigration patterns post-World War II (1943-1965).

Gentlemen's Agreement

The 1907-1908 agreement between the US and Japan where Japan agreed to limit emigration to the US in exchange for the US ending segregation of Japanese students in California.

Nisei

The term for American-born children of Japanese immigrants, significant in discussions about identity and rights in the US.

Chain Migration

The pattern of migration that occurs when immigrants sponsor family members or friends to join them in a new country.

Asiatic Barred Zone

The area designated by the 1917 Immigration Act from which immigrants were excluded, limiting immigration from large parts of Asia.

Picture Brides

Women who moved to the US to marry men through arranged marriages, often facilitated by photographs, particularly common among Japanese immigrants.

Orientalism

A framework for understanding and categorizing Asian ethnicities in a manner that perpetuates stereotypes and excluded them from social and political inclusion.

Dual Citizenship

The legal status of being a citizen of two countries, often resulting in complex situations for second-generation Asian Americans regarding identity and rights.

Economic Discrimination

The systematic exclusion of certain groups, particularly Asians, from various aspects of economic opportunities due to their race.

Cultural Pluralism

The acknowledgment and acceptance of multiple cultures within a society, which has evolved in part as a response to the pressures of assimilation experienced by Asian Americans.

Labor Contractors

Individuals who acted as intermediaries to connect immigrant laborers with employers, often creating a hierarchical system within Asian immigrant labor.

Assimilation

The process by which immigrants adapt to the cultural norms of their host society, often pressured to abandon their heritages.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern US that indirectly affected Asian populations through exclusion from rights and privileges.