Slavery

[OCTAVIA]

I hate to be bringing this one up; but I went out for a run just now, I went for about 5 miles through the Manoa Valley and talk about slavery! The new plantation owners are all living in the mountains of Manoa and they hire 'unskilled labor' from the Phillipines to cut their lawns. It's a disgrace. The same people are responsible for screwing up the program I worked for, that took the "unskilled labor" and made them skilled. Of course the Japanese "skilled" labor who own the Manoa property and who run 1/2 the government jobs didn't like it. So, it's everywhere. Newsflash from Taiwan: a Phillipino main fell about 20 stories from an aparatment window while her Taiwanese employee looked on. Her employee wanted her to completely clean the outer windows for her.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Originally posted by lochinvar


Yet there were few incentives for Europeans to emigrate to the New World for a life of poverty and back-breaking work; they could get that at home. Enter the "alternative solution".

Wrong, 1800-1860=largest population growth in American history. In Ireland, there was the obvious, potato famine, but also opression by the English. By 1666 nearly 40% of all property in Ireland was owned by the British. Also, the Irish farmers had been supplying Europe, and especially Britain, with their wheat crops due to wars ravaging throughout the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. But after 1815, when Europe was no longer battle ridden, wheat prices plunged by half. Thus landlords had to find a new line of business, create twice as many crops or emigrate to America.

Germans were the second largest group of immigratns during this time period. The leading causes of German immigration to America were crop failures, inheritance laws, high rents, high prices, and the effects of the industrial revolution led to widespread poverty and suffering. Yet the Germans were just as drawn to America as pushed away from Germany. In America there was, freedom from aristocratic caste and state church; there was abundant opportunity to secure broad acres and better one’s condition.

And finally in 1852 the Gold Rush started, key immigration of Chinese. From 1848-1852, the number of Chinese in California went from 3, to 30,000.