Certainly, here is a summary of how the perceptions of "race" and immigration became increasingly important to United States history as the country expanded west:In the early years of American history, immigration and race were not significant concerns as the country was still establishing itself.However, as the United States began to expand westward with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Mexican-American War in the mid-1800s, questions arose over who had the right to settle in new territories and who was considered a "true" American.The concept of "Manifest Destiny" emerged, which essentially held that it was America's destiny and duty to expand westward and bring "civilization" to new lands.This expansion brought about conflicts with Native American tribes who were being displaced from their ancestral lands as well as with other countries who had claims to the same territories (such as Mexico in the case of Texas and California).The issue of race also became increasingly important as the country expanded westward. The institution of slavery, which had previously been confined to the Southern states, became a national issue as tensions grew between the North and South.The influx of immigrants from various countries, particularly China and Ireland, led to fears about these groups taking jobs away from Americans and concerns about the potential for ethnic conflict.These concerns led to the passage of laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which restricted Chinese immigration, and the Naturalization Act of 1790, which established that only "free white persons" could become citizens of the United States.Overall, the expansion of the United States westward brought about a variety of challenges related to immigration and race that have continued to play significant roles in American history and politics up to the present day.