Reasons For Irish-Americans' Participation In Excluding Chinese In The Second Half Of The 19^th Century Mainland

The 19^th century saw the influx of Irish and Chinese immigrants in the United States.On their arrival,they encountered a new problem-discrimination from the native white Americans.However,Irish immigrants actively participated in expelling Chinese immigrants in the Chinese Exclusion Movement,regarding them as the biggest competitor.Based on the friction and conflict between Irish and Chinese immigrants,this thesis explores how Irish immigrants changed from the oppressed to the main preacher of excluding Chinese and the deep reasons for Irish immigrants'active participation in Chinese Exclusion Movement.The main body consists of three chapters.Chapter One focuses on the labor competition between the Irish and the Chinese in the United States.By presenting their conflict in the job field in the second half of the 19^th century from several aspects,it reveals that the Chinese were taken as the biggest competitor by the Irish immigrants.Chapter Two analyzes the intimate relationship between Irish immigrants and some Irish political speculators and parties,and finds that they could gain interests mutually by excluding Chinese immigrants.Chapter Three proves that the Irish immigrants tried to assimilate into the mainstream of American society by agitating racism and joining the American nativism against Chinese immigrants.