9. Gold Mountain Calls

In spite of his older brother's purported advice to remain in China, Dong Hin decided to seek his fortune in the “Land of the Flowery Flag” (the field of stars in the U.S. flag reminded the Chinese of flowers). Once again the circumstances that prompted Dong Hin to leave China and his family are unknown. However, the mid-to-late nineteenth century was a period characterized by large movements of Cantonese to the United States. More than 60,000 Chinese came to the United States between 1850 and 1860 alone. Initially many were enticed by the promise of instant wealth from the 1849 gold rush in the Sierras. Later, many Chinese were recruited as laborers to build the railroads of California and the western United States. Reports and rumors from these early immigrants to America filtered back to China - California became known as the “Gold Mountain” ("Gum Shan") strewn with gold for the taking and offering prosperity to all.
(1a) Chinese prospector panning for gold (1852, adapted from Sacramento Bee); (1b) Chinese workers building the Loma Prieta Lumber Co.'s railroad, California, about 1885 (adapted from America on the Move wesbsite).

For example, numerous circulars, such as this one sent around Guangzhou by Chinese brokers representing foreign shipmasters, were broadly distributed to encourage potential emigrants to seek their fortune:

“Americans are very rich people. They want the Chinaman to come and will make him welcome… There will be big pay, large houses, and food and clothing of the finest description. You can write your friends or send them money at any time, and we will be responsible for the safe delivery. It is a nice country, without mandarins or soldiers. All alike; big man no larger than little man. There are a great many Chinamen there now, and it will not be a strange country. China God is there now, and the agents of his house. Never fear, and you will be lucky…”

Whatever the specific inducement, the opportunity afforded in the United States was probably difficult to ignore considering the meager options available to most people in China.

Links
"On Gold Mountain" exhibition
The Chinese American Album by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler