Chinese immigration to the United States, which began around 1850, sparked strong anti-Asian sentiment and legal and economic restrictions upon these immigrants. Although some Chinese organizations helped immigrants, the overall response of the Chinese to systematic oppression was one of meekness and compliance. The Japanese began to immigrate to the U.S. in the 1890s, succeeding the Chinese as laborers and inheriting much of the discrimination originally directed against them. Though they showed some resistance to policies directed against them, for the most part the Japanese also endured their oppression without overt protest. The reaction of these Asian Americans is puzzling to social scientists, but there are cultural explanations for their attitudes. Filial piety, obedience to authority, family responsibility, and suppression of emotions and aggressiveness are aspects of Chinese and Japanese culture which made it less likely that these groups would challenge oppression. In addition, psychological factors related to their immigration experiences have contributed to their tendency to keep a low profile. This history of discrimination and data on current income and employment opportunities belie the "successful minority group" myth often propounded in regard to Japanese and Chinese Americans. Asians are now beginning to identify with other oppressed minorities, challenging social injustices and demanding more participation in the society at all levels. (Author/GC)