During the late 1800s, waves of Asian immigrants from other countries arrived in the United States of America. These countries include China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and India. They believed that coming to the United States would allow them to realize the “American Dream,” but various laws and discrimination prevented them from realizing the dream. In response to these laws and discrimination, Asian immigrant groups have asserted a sense of agency to protect themselves from impending discrimination and prejudice. Agency is defined as Asian/American immigrant resistance to discrimination, unjust laws, prejudice, and low wages. Some agencies were successful and some were not, but the main idea was that Asian immigrants were not powerless. They are able to resist through solidarity, strikes and courts. Different types of agencies were employed by different groups, but their goal was ultimately the same: to make life in the United States easier. Although Asian immigrants faced racial discrimination and prejudice, their sense of agency allowed them to unite and survive in the highly racist United States. Shortly after the Mexican War in 1848, a labor shortage occurred in the United States. American politicians proposed bringing in Chinese workers because of their experience and knowledge in agriculture, and also to work on the dangerous transcontinental railroad (Takaki, 22). The Chinese were not the only ones recruited as labourers. Japanese, Koreans, and Filipinos (mostly located in Hawaii) were also brought. In Hawaii, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and Filipinos offered camps for low wages and were treated as “disposable goods” (Takaki, 24). They were faced with horrible situations… middle of paper… a few cases, a rumor. With higher wages, unity, ethnic solidarity, and an active voice, Asian minorities have been able to minimize discrimination and survive in the United States. Works Cited Takaki, Ronald T. Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans. Boston: Little, Brown, 1989. Print.Duus, Masayo. The Japanese Conspiracy: The Oahu Sugar Strike of 1920. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1999. Print."Waipahu Plantation Strike." Immigration to North America. NP, June 3, 2011. Web. March 14, 2014. "San Francisco's Chinatown." History of Chinatown. Np, nd Web. 14 March 2014. .Price, Darby. “Takaki chap. 1, 4, 5” Room in Engineering Building 343, San Jose. February 24. 2014. Conference.