China

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Taiping Rebellion
Between 1850 and 1864 a large rebellion against the Ch’ing dynasty took place in China. Hung Hsiu-ch’uan, a Chinese visionary who was greatly influenced by Christianity, led the revolt. Joined by the poor, the rebels’ objective was to birth a new dynasty, The Taiping (great peace). The revolutionaries traveled north through China, killing civilians and soldiers. Support for the rebellion declined over time because the new dynasty went against traditional Chinese values. Drought and famine overtook the land, and millions of Chinese perished. By the end of the revolt, the population of China was reduced by over 60 million.

Chinese Immigration to the U.S.
Between 1849 and 1882 the California Gold Rush attracted many Americans as well as foreigners. Many of the immigrants seeking prosperity were young, single men fleeing a poverty-stricken and war-torn homeland such as China during the Taiping Rebellion. Some of these men signed contracts with the Chinese government promising most of their future wages in return for a safe voyage. Others came overseas as merchants in the hope of filling a niche for Chinese goods in America.

After the Gold Rush, the Chinese immigrants who chose to stay in the U.S. found work as agricultural laborers or as workers for the Central Pacific Railroad. The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the West was more dangerous than in the East, and American workers were looking for work elsewhere. In the winter of 1865, Charles Crocker, chief of construction for the Central Pacific Railroad, decided to use Chinese laborers. He argued that since they built the Great Wall of China and invented gunpowder, they could easily construct a railroad. The Chinese laborers worked hard to finish their half of the railroad. They were paid a fraction of the wages of other laborers and were faced with constant discrimination. 

The Ching Ming Festival
Ching Ming (“clean and bright”) is celebrated in April and is known as the “Remembrance of Ancestors” day. This festival is a testament to Chinese ancestor worship. It involves cleaning headstones, replacing flowers, lighting incense, and burning fake money for the ancestors to use in the afterlife. Food is laid out in front of the grave as an additional offering to the ancestor. Three sets of chopsticks and three Chinese wine cups are arranged above the food and close to the headstone. The family elder begins by bowing three times with a wine cup in his/her hand and pouring the wine three times in front of the headstone. When the head of the house is finished, other family members repeat the ritual. The celebration concludes with everyone eating the offerings and lighting fireworks to ward off evil sprits and honor their loved ones.

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China

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