From Coast to Coast: A comparison of immigration patterns between San Francisco, New York, and Jacksonville
History
Zizhao S Wang
Candidate #____________
05/27/14
WC: 4,038

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Abstract
Research Question: What are some similarities and differences between the immigration patterns of Chinese Americans in San Francisco, New York City, and Jacksonville?
For this essay, I conducted my research mainly through books and interviews. Originally,
I was planning on using mainly census information, but after I realized that most of the statistics
I sought did not exist online, my adviser recommended that I look for more scholarly publications at a library. I then visited the University of North Florida’s library and borrowed and read six books that are relevant to my topic. Many of the books were published in the
1900s, so I found immigration data from more recent time periods online. I also conducted some personal interviews to gain a better understanding of the Chinese community in
Jacksonville. I interviewed an older immigrant who moved to Jacksonville in 1972, a college student who moved to Miami for his Master’s Degree, a woman who moved here after marrying her husband, and a man who moved here from New Zealand.
After conducting research, I learned about the differences and similarities between the three cities. Immigrants to San Francisco began in the 1850s with the most people coming from
Taishan. Over time, the area expanded to include most of southern China. In New York, the immigrants also came from southern China. Smuggling became a big problem after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. In Jacksonville, immigration picked up a century later with
Johnson’s new immigration law and China’s new Open Doors Policy. These dynamics led to the development of Chinese communities throughout the United States. Future research could be done in other ethnic groups such as Nigerian Americans.

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able of Contents
Table
Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Extended Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Extended Essay
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 1
For one night every year in January, Chinese families from all over the Jacksonville area head to a local theatre to watch the Chinese New Year celebration. Before the performance begins, I can hear the little girls in traditional qipao dresses talking to each in English and see the occasional blondeness in the sea of black. The juxtaposition of a Chinese holiday celebrated in a city of western roots creates an interesting picture that can be seen through a large portion of American history. But beneath this imagery is a story about the immigration of the Chinese to the US and how they have established their distinct cultural identity in the New World. In this essay, I will examine the similarities and differences between the immigration patterns of
Chinese Americans in San Francisco, New York City, and Jacksonville.
San Francisco, California
Although there are many speculations about the Chinese landing on North America a thousand years before Columbus, documented Chinese immigration to the United States dates back to the 1800’s on the West Coast in California. The