Margaret Laplante

In Search of Gold Mountain: the Chinese Experience In19th Century America Margaret Laplante

It was as if the word GOLD echoed around the world as people came to the Pacific Northwest in droves in search of sudden wealth in the 1850s. Most of the newcomers were white men from every corner of the globe but there was another group of immigrants who traveled just as far seeking their fortune. They were called Celestials or Sojourners, but neither term was spoken in a positive manner. They were the Chinese. They traveled far in search of Gum Shan, also known as Gold Mountain. Lured to America dreaming of the wealth that had eluded them in their native land, they came by the thousands. They arrived on American soil, not with the intent of beginning a new life here, but instead to work the gold fields then return home with enough money to be able to provide for their families.