Many people would be surprised to know that there were some Asian faces in the crowds of white and black soldiers serving in the American Civil War. The participation of Asians , and in particular Chinese Americans, comes into focus this month as the United States marks the th anniversary of the start of the war. It began in after the election of an anti-slavery president, Abraham Lincoln. Fearing the eventual abolition of slavery, eleven southern states bolted from the union, setting up the pro-slavery Confederate States of America.
America’s long history of scapegoating its Asian citizens
The long history of racism against Asian Americans in the U.S. | PBS NewsHour
Asian Americans , who are Americans of Asian descent , have fought and served on behalf of the United States since the War of Navy until the Philippine—American War. At the beginning of the 20th century, Asian Americans began to attend U. With the desegregation of the U. The first official recorded history of Asian Americans fighting on behalf of the U. During the War of , General Andrew Jackson recorded that "Manilamen" had fought under his general command in defense of New Orleans , under the direct command of Jean Baptiste Lafitte.
Since the Civil War, Asian Americans have served in the military with distinction
But Asian American history, my field of research , suggests a sobering reality. The model minority concept, developed during and after World War II, posits that Asian Americans were the ideal immigrants of color to the United States due to their economic success. But in the United States, Asian Americans have long been considered as a threat to a nation that promoted a whites-only immigration policy.
Danny Satow was walking home from a stroll around her neighborhood in Federal Way, a suburb just south of Seattle, when a heavy object slammed into her chest. A car whizzed by and a disembodied voice yelled a racial slur against Chinese people. The car melted into the rush of traffic, and Danny leaned over to pick up the liter of water that had hit her.