Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department or Program

History

Advisor

Najar, José D.

Abstract

From the middle of the nineteenth century to the early and mid-twentieth century, Chinese immigrants came to the Americas and the Caribbean in droves. Often these immigrants came to places like the American Mid-West, Peru, or Jamaica as indentured laborers. Ushered into nations hoping to obtain great riches to bring back to China, most of these immigrants fell into unfair and arduous labor contracts. This paper asks: what are the trends in this research, and where is it lacking? The work presented in this paper is in two parts. The first part explores the methodologies within prominent positions on Chinese immigration to the Americas and the Caribbean. Within this study, the methodological trends used by historians are engaged, displaying the missing research on Chinese Canadians and the future uses of transimperialism when understanding Chinese immigration to white settler nations. The second part of the research is a case study that builds upon the observations of the historiography of the first section. It focuses on the intersection of reproductive rights, gender politics, immigration movements, and the central role of two nation-states as both ‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces that compelled Chinese citizens to seek asylum in the U.S. after the implementation of the One Child Policy in 1979. Both sections of the paper call for new directions in methodologies and areas of focus.

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