Question

As white Americans pushed west, they not only collided with Native American tribes but also with Mexican Americans and Chinese immigrants. Mexican Americans in the Southwest had been given the opportunity to become American citizens at the end of the Mexican-American War, but their status was markedly second-class. Chinese immigrants arrived en masse during the California Gold Rush and numbered in the hundreds of thousands by the late 1800s; the majority lived in California, working menial jobs. These distinct cultural and ethnic groups strove to maintain their rights and way of life in the face of persistent racism, but a large number of white settlers and government-sanctioned land acquisitions left them at a profound disadvantage. Ultimately, both groups withdrew into homogenous communities in which their language and culture could survive. True or false?

Answer 1

Answer: True

Explanation: After the Mexican war, Mexicans who wanted to work the land were given parcels of land and promised citizenship. However, as white Americans pushed west, they squatted on lands owned by Mexican Americans and forced the latter out. Anti Mexican sentiments rose and new laws were passed to limit Mexican gatherings.

Similarly, Chinese immigrants migrated to the U.S. at the height of the gold rush but were prevented from participating in the search for gold due to complicate land laws. They had to take menial jobs on the new rail construction project to survive. Even here, they faced discrimination and were given the worst and most dangerous jobs.

Eventually, both groups withdrew into homogenous communities in which their language and culture could survive.