In a reflection paper of 1-2 pages please reflect on what you learned from Lesson 2: The American West (1865-1900).

            To my view, there are two major group of population discussed in this lesson: Native Indians and other immigrants, including Chinese.

            As a promise land, American West attracted many immigrants to come during 1865 to 1900. Due to the diversities of population, racism and prejudice inevitably existed in the American West. In my humble view, among the eight oppressed “races” (Indians, Latinos, Chinese, Japanese, Blacks, Mormons, strikers, and radicals), Chinese were treated the worst by US government. There are two reasons for this thought. First, Chinese contributed a lot to the railroad construction in the West. They worked so hard that many Chinese even lost their lives in the difficult working conditions. Therefore, it is a common sense that Chinese deserved a better treatment and appreciation from US government. However, what Chinese received was the opposite. After Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882, Chinese in the West faced difficult living condition. As a native Chinese, I really do not understand how US government made this cruel decision to exclude the people who used to help US to build the railroad in the West. Although the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution that formally expresses the regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act in 2011, I still feel sad for Chinese who lived in the West from 1865 to 1900.

            In my view, during this period, US government was also cruel to Native Indians, resulting from their irrational thoughts: Indians was an obstacle to civilization and therefore they should be exterminated (page 539).  Although the Indians are not the popular topic of the mainstream news in US now, it seems to me that I can still hear the crooning from Indians. In a book entitled << An Absolutely True Dairy of a Part Time Indian>> written by American Indian writer Sherman Alexie, I know that Indians are still discriminated by American whites in 21st century. In his essay “Superman and me”, Sherman Alexie pointed out that “ A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike”. What Sherman Alexie thought about today’s Indians indirectly fits the “ fear” that American whites had during 1865 to 1900: Indians was an obstacle to civilization and therefore they should be exterminated (page 539). 

            Although America is a melting pot for different races and nationalities, the absolute fairness among different races is difficult to locate. That is why African Americans often protest for the unfairness they experience. For Indians and immigrants, including Chinese, the protesting voice is relatively low when compared to African American. The present is repeating the past. I have to sigh for Indians and Chinese for the present and for the future, too.