Such prejudices were curious, given the parallels between Chinese and Irish immigrant histories: flight from persecution or famine in their home countries; bad treatment when they arrived in the United States; suffering ridicule for their curious languages or accents, clothing, and cultural customs; and taking unskilled jobs. Despite these similarities there was one crucial difference: the Irish were white and the Chinese were not. In American culture of the nineteenth century, this difference cannot be overstated. Racism and economics had been at the center of the recently fought Civil War. Despite the emancipation of the slaves, the relationship between these issues had not been resolved. What happened to the California Indians after statehood was one illustration of how exploitation of people of color was conveniently perceived as part of the “natural order of things.”