Final answer:
Chinese immigrants in the nineteenth century were primarily motivated to move to the U.S. due to work opportunities on the railroads and the California Gold Rush. The Taiping Rebellion and other hardships in China served as driving forces behind their immigration. They faced many challenges upon arrival, including discrimination and difficult labor conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The motivations for Chinese immigrants coming to the United States during the nineteenth century were complex. A major 'pull factor' was the opportunity for work on the railroads, particularly during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. This provided vital employment for many Chinese immigrants. Alongside this work, the California Gold Rush also attracted many to the United States with the promise of wealth and prosperity.
In their homeland, one of the significant events driving Chinese immigration was the Taiping Rebellion which, along with its associated destruction, caused severe hardship, including famines, making the choice to flee China a matter of survival. Indeed, the mid-nineteenth century saw many Chinese escape from poverty-stricken conditions, agrarian distress, and the strife resulting from the Taiping Rebellion. The promise of earning a living and supporting families back in China was a strong motivation to endure the challenging and often discriminatory conditions faced in the U.S.