The relationship between Americans and Chinese immigrants in California is complex, to say the least. Chinese immigrants helped build much of the infrastructure and introduced intensive farming to the Bay Area in the 1800s, but, despite these contributions, continued to be viewed as unwanted laborers by the Americans. By the 1870s unemployment rates were rising in America, and the Chinese immigrants quickly became the scapegoat for American duress. There was a rise in Anti-Chinese (anti-coolie) movements that swept across California (24). These movements lead to the closure of many Chinese settlements and prompted Congress to pass the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and the 1924 Immigration Act. These Congressional decisions only perpetuated the history of racism and distrust felt between the Americans and Chinese in California, which would continue well into the 20th century. In his novel The Rice Room, Ben Fong-Torres traces his complex cross-cultural heritage as a second generation Chinese American during the mid 1900s; torn between the alluring American lifestyle and the traditional cultural heritage his immigrant parents struggled to instill in him. Like most immigrants, Ben's parents came to America in search of the American Dream. Referred to California as the "Golden Mountains , the United States offered an opportunity to make more money and provide for family back in China. Ben notes that his father was encouraged by his family to "seek a greater fortune and then return to fetch them  (11). His father did as he was told, and came to America via the Philippines. Like most Chinese immigrants in the 1920s, Ben's father entered the country illegally. Because there were strict limits on the number of Chinese immigrants allowed into America, Ben's father added "Torres" to his name to convince immigration officials that he was of Filipino descent. Ben's mother also entered the country illegally, and both lived in fear of being discovered by immigration. Both Ben's parents were able to make their way to the country with the help of associations of Chinese Americans within California; they helped the incoming Chinese work-around the strict immigration policies and assisted them in their transitions. These associations not only helped in getting to America, but they provided a sense of community once immigrants arrived. In a foreign country where a sense of loneliness persisted, these associations offered "a way of unifying, governing, and defending themselves  in America (14). These associations would host rituals at their halls, and would provide rooms to those in the clan who were homeless. Ben's father was even able to acquire work as a dishwasher through a family friend in the association. He continued to work hard, and eventually was fortunate enough to win the Chinese Keno lottery that provided him with the money to open his restaurant. Both Ben's parents, like so many immigrants before them, came to America in search of a better life, where hard work would pay off and they could prosper in wealth and happiness. Unfortunately, the realities of American life were much harsher to immigrants. The "anti-coolie  movement worked to perpetuate the sense of inequality between Chinese Americans and white Americans. Many realtors would not rent homes to Chinese Americans, and they were not permitted to open businesses in much of the city. In California, ethnic minorities, including the Chinese, lived in small pockets of the city (23). For many Chinese immigrants, Chinatown was the only area of the city where they were allowed the opportunity to own homes or run a business; therefore Chinatown became the center of the isolate Chinese American community in California. For first generation immigrants, like Ben's parents, Chinatown offered a sense of security and the ability to view white society as the foreigners