Most of these Chinese workers were poorly paid, and worked under dangerous and harsh conditions. The CPR was built between 18, and many Chinese laborers were hired to work on the railway. In order to connect British Columbia to the eastern parts of the countries, a project began to build the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In 1871, British Columbia entered into Confederation, and became part of Canada (formed from the amalgamation of three British North American provinces in 1867). Chinese immigrants often encountered racism and xenophobia, and tended to live in specific neighborhoods, which became known as Chinatowns. Gradually, more Chinese immigrants began to come directly to British Columbia. When gold was discovered in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia in 1858, Chinese gold prospectors began to move to the region as well. Some of these events coincided with the California Gold Rush (1848-1855), and made California an appealing destination for the first wave of Chinese immigrants, who worked as gold prospectors. Events in China such as the First Opium War (1839–1842) and the T'ai P'ing Rebellion (1850–1864) led to increased push factors and emigration. In the 19th century, many people in China were impacted by poverty, famine, and political upheaval, making it appealing to emigrate to other places, work there, and attempt to send money back to China. In the 1850s, a significant number of Chinese individuals began to arrive in Canada for the first time.
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