Essay/Term paper: Three contributions of chinese immigrants

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Social Issues

Three Contributions Of Chinese Immigrants


The Chinese started immigrating to the United States in 1849. They
left China in search of a better life. Life in China in the 1800's was very
hard. There wasn't enough food, money and the cities were overpopulated. They
heard about the United States and believed there was an opportunity to start
over again. They hoped to find jobs on the railroad or to strike gold. When
they arrived in the United States, life was difficult. Laws were made which
discriminated against them. However, eventually they became a respected part of
our society. They are responsible for many contributions which are part of
American life today. This essay will describe three of these contributions:
two products, ginseng and tea, and one method of medicine, acupuncture.
Ginseng is a perennial herb grown in China and other Asian countries.
It is also grown in North American, but the Asian variety is thought to be more
valuable. There are many legends and superstitions surrounding ginseng. The
Chinese have long believed that the ginseng is a cure for many aliments and can
even make one live longer. However, Western researchers are have been unable to
prove this. Today, many manufacturers add ginseng to such products as hair
tonics, shampoos, skin creams and even soft drinks. Also ginseng can be bought
over the counter in drug stores under such names as "Ginkoba" and "Ginsana". "
Ginkoba" is supposed to increase mental alertness. "Ginsana" is supposed to
increase physical energy.
Tea was first used during the reign of Emperor Shen Nung in about 2737
B.C. This was a very long time ago. It is thought that tea was first cultivated
in China. Then the China tea plant was taken to Japan in about 800A.D. In Japan,
tea was used for medical purposes. When green tea was developed in Chine, tea
became a popular beverage. Tea was introduced into England in about 1660. It
was a gift from the British East India Tea Company. The Company became a
monopoly. It controlled the trade of tea from China and from India. Soon,
tea was introduced to the rest of Europe and became a very popular beverage.
Tea is made from young leaves and leaf buds of a type of evergreen plant
known as Camellia sinensis. The name really means Chinese camellia. The name
is because there are so many different types of teas. A Chinese writer said
there were "a thousand and ten teas". Tea is considered black, green or oolong.
Most of the international trade today is in black tea. Today, tea is drank all
over the world, including the United States. Tea is produced in about 30
countries, but China is still the largest exporter of tea.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical technique used to relieve pain,
cure disease and improve general health. This medical technique consists of
inserting hair-thin needles through particular spots of the skin. These spots
are called neuroreceptors. The points are then stimulated by twirling, by heat
or by use of a weak electrical current.
Acupuncture has been practiced in China for over 4,000 years. It was
practiced by the Chinese immigrant doctors who first came to the United States.
However, it was only in 1972 that acupuncture received publicity. This happened
when a newspaper correspondent who was with Nixon his trip to China had to have
an emergency appendectomy. The correspondent got pain relief through
acupuncture. Since that time, many American physicians and dentists have been
trained to use acupuncture and learned about its benefits.
The Chinese, like many immigrant groups, suffered difficult beginnings
in their new life in the United States. However, many of them eventually
succeeded in making a better life for themselves and their families. In
addition, the Chinese are responsible for important and lasting contributions to
American life. This essay describes three of these contributions. They are
ginseng, tea and acupuncture.