Few
jobs were available in the early 1900s after the Gold Rush and the
completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Chinese had an
especially difficult time finding jobs because they did not speak
English and because most businesses did not want to hire non-whites.
Many Chinese decided to open a laundry because it cost little money
to start one. The whites did not compete in that labor market because
they considered the hard labor "women's work".
Think
about the answers to the following question. Discuss with your teammates,
and write your responses in your journal.
What job opportunities
would be available to you if you did not speak English? Describe
the various jobs you could apply for.
to print these questions and record your answers.
Click
the link to learn about the Chinese working in the laundry business.
1. Use
the information from your research to write a journal entry in the
voice of a Chinese immigrant working in a laundry in the 1900s.
Describe some events that happened during the week. Include reasons
why you decided to work in a laundry, previous jobs you held, and
plans for the future.
Few
jobs were available in the early 1900s after the Gold Rush and the
completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Chinese had an
especially difficult time finding jobs because they did not speak
English and because most businesses did not want to hire non-whites.
Many Chinese decided to open a laundry because it cost little money
to start one. The whites did not compete in that labor market because
they considered the hard labor "women's work".
