Bill, thanks for initiating this fascinating & enlightening thread. It's particularly interesting to me as an American who's ancestors immigrated here from China back in the 1800's, in search of California gold as well as to help build the US transcontinental railroad. I wonder if my ancestors could have ever imagined that America's relationship with China would be so totally reversed now, because back then, rampant discrimination was common place & anti-Chinese laws aimed at Chinese immigrants were enacted by the US government, as evidenced by the Chinese Exclusion act of 1882 and not repealed until 1943. No longer are many Chinese interested in immigrating here, and some have returned to china for more promising opportunities in China than here.