Final answer:
The Chinese immigrants advanced in American society by actively participating while facing significant discrimination, exemplified by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and violent incidents like the Rock Springs Riot. They formed their own community services and some achieved economic success.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chinese Immigrants' Social Advancement in the United States
The Chinese immigrants in the United States worked up the hierarchy primarily C) By actively participating in American society. However, this process was fraught with challenges due to pervasive discrimination and hostility. Despite the creation of cultural centers and the establishment of businesses, they faced exclusionary laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was the first law in US history to explicitly bar a group of immigrants based on race or ethnicity. The act was supported by propaganda that painted the Chinese as 'imports' rather than immigrants, characterizing them as a threat to American jobs and wages.
In response to widespread discrimination, Chinese immigrants formed social aid organizations, places of worship, health facilities, and other community services. This self-reliance helped them to establish a foothold in American society, but at the same time, they encountered both systemic and physical violence, such as the Rock Springs Riot. Over time, some Chinese immigrants achieved economic success, which further provoked envy and discrimination from White Americans.
The efforts by Chinese immigrants to advance socially and economically in the US were a complex interplay between adapting to American society, facing discrimination, and finding ways to preserve their own cultural identity and support each other within their communities.