The US city of San Jose has officially apologised to Chinese immigrants and their descendants for the role the city played in “systemic and institutional racism, xenophobia, and discrimination”.
Chinese immigrants first arrived the US in large numbers during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. After the scramble for gold ended, many stayed to build the Transcontinental Railroad or to take up other difficult industrial and agricultural jobs for low wages.
During this period, Chinese immigrants faced intense racial discrimination in America. They were required to pay special taxes, banned from owning properties and land, and blamed for stealing jobs and driving down wages.
The anti-Chinese sentiment later escalated into assaults, arson and murder.
The city’s apology on Wednesday comes amid a rise in anti-Asian hate in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing attention to the country’s legacy of racism against Asian Americans.