Final answer:
Chinese immigrants faced legal and social discrimination in the U.S. through acts like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and societal prejudice. They were denied naturalization, faced job competition resentment, and established insular communities for support.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chinese immigrants in America faced severe discrimination unlike their White counterparts. Since the early periods of immigration, legislative acts such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 explicitly targeted Chinese laborers, preventing them from immigrating to the U.S. and from seeking naturalization. This discriminatory treatment was underpinned by economic fears among white workers who were concerned about job competition and was manifested in both social persecution and legal exclusion.
Chinese immigrants sought to make a life for themselves, contributing to the economy by taking on labor-intensive jobs in mining and on the Central Pacific Railroad. However, their willingness to accept lower wages led to resentment and accusations of being an 'Asiatic plague'. This culminated in the formation of 'anti-coolie clubs' and other such organizations that reinforced discriminatory practices and pushed for legislative action to limit the rights and liberties of Chinese immigrants.
Despite these challenges, the Chinese community managed to create robust social and cultural centers to support each other, though they were often confined to segregated districts and Chinatowns in major cities. The legacy of this treatment was a long-standing pattern of prejudice and hardship faced by Asian immigrant communities in America.