Illustration of the Rock Springs Massacre from Harper’s Weekly
Author: Chloe Keefe
Interviewer: Nicholas Mays
When Chinese immigrants initially came to the United States in search of job opportunities, they were hailed for their diligent work ethic. They seemed to work longer and harder than the native born American, all while being paid less than them. However, as more Chinese began to immigrate, this became perceived as a threat to the American worker, who felt like employers were passing them over in favor of cheap foreign labor. In order to “protect the dignity of labor,” labor unions combined race and labor issues to create a powerful crusade against the Chinese that ravaged the West Coast during the Gilded Age.