People back then had their minds on survival in a developing world and headed West to new cities to find their fortune.

Very true my Friend.
My heart goes out to those lives that were lost in the riots especially those Chinese.
I think if a person goes into a new environment, he should learn to establish a balance between how you act and how the environment reacts. If they has looked for ways to establish peace and resolve differences with the whites before the riot, I'm sure thats a better way to do things with lesser casualties.

BTW, Great photography
I learnt something from this post.
Thanks for sharing @marxrab