Black, White, Yellow and the Boundaries of Freedom

Populism Origination

The ability for farmer to make money from their agriculture was decreasing causing them to mortgage their property or lose their land. They had excessive interest on loans that they could pay back because govt. had policies that put down policies prices

Populism

Defined as a political movement that advocated for the right and power of “the common people” in opposite to the “elite”

The “people’s party” (example of populism)

Last political expression in the 19th century (1891). The Omaha platform laid out a series of demands aimed at strengthening the economic and political power of the common citizen.

Knights of Labors

American labor organization that wanted to unite all workers regardless of skills, race, or gender to advocate for social/economic reforms

• Secrecy

• Collective bargaining: Negotiation with employers to avoid strikes

• Public perception was changed by the Haymarket affair

Graduated income tax (Omaha Platform of 1892)

According to how much that you make, it should match how much you are taxed 

Public Ownership of railroads 

Those who worked on the railroads have more control over it, financial accessible for other people 

Chinese immigration

1849: Men (without families) arrived to participate in the Gold Rush and railroads = concentrated in the west coast. All had the idea to more back home to their home country

Chinese Exclusion Act

Prohibited all Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States, denying citizenship to Chinese immigrants, and restricted their ability to travel in and out of the country.

• Based on economic fears and anti-Chinese sentiments 

Queue Ordinance

Made Chinese immigrants workers that were imprisoned cut off their queues (Long braids that were worn by Han men). Ruining their culture was made to purposely discourage permanent residence in the country 

• Other ordinances made because certain businesses that they had was looked to be a threat to nativists

Immigration Restriction League (1894 to 1897)

Reasoned that the “Irish Iberians” has origins to the African race that spreads themselves through western Europe. Used anthropometrics as a way to reason that they are inferior to the “superior race” (Anglo-saxon)

• Any relations to “Blackness” made them inferior 

• Getting citizenship = buying into whiteness