Chinese immigration to America during the construction of the transcontinental railroad

From: "Hannah Lundberg" hlund96@yahoo.com

I am a student at Upland High School and I am currently working on a History Day project about Chinese immigration to America during the construction of the transcontinental railroad. I have a few questions about it and I would appreciate any of them you can answer.

1. Other than handbills and recruitment from Americans, were there factors in China in the 1800s that caused so many Chinese laborers to want to come to America?

2. Were Chinese immigrants ever promoted to higher ranks or were they strictly reserved for white Americans?

3. Where most of the Chinese laborers already in America before construction of the railroad began or did more of them immigrate later?

4. Did the Chinese ever revolt over the poor conditions they worked in?

5. How prominent were women in the Chinese-American population? Did they ever work alongside the men?

Thank you for all your help.

—Hannah Lundberg