Final answer:
Erika Lee explains that Chinese merchants were differentiated from Chinese laborers (coolies) by inspectors based on presumed differences in occupation, appearance, and literacy skills. This discriminatory practice was part of the broader enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which aimed to limit Chinese laborer immigration due to economic and racial prejudices prevalent at the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Enforcement of the Exclusion Laws, Erika Lee details the methods by which immigration inspectors distinguished between Chinese merchants and Chinese laborers, commonly referred to as coolies. The three assumed differences noted were D) Occupation, appearance, literacy skills. Inspectors presumed that merchants would have a more respectable appearance, exhibit better command of the English language, and display greater literacy abilities compared to laborers, who were often seen in a more derogatory light due to their lower social standing. This distinction between classes formed part of the enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned Chinese laborer immigration and entrenched discrimination against Asian Americans.
The act was part of a larger pattern of discrimination and violence against Chinese immigrants, shaped by economic competition and racial prejudice. While European immigrants faced challenges, Asian immigrants, particularly the Chinese, dealt with more severe forms of marginalization. White Americans, particularly in California, formed organizations such as anti-coolie clubs to resist the employment of Chinese labor, reflecting the deep-seated hostility towards this group.