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CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT

1882 – 1943

Beginning in 1882, a series of laws were passed, closing the door on Chinese laborers from immigrating into the United States. Before the Chinese Exclusion Act, anti-Chinese movements were heightening in response to economic depression and belief that Chinese laborers were stealing jobs from non-Chinese workers, as well as degrading the moral and cultural standard of American society. Although such anti-Chinese sentiments originated in California, they ultimately reached Washington, D.C.

The Chinese Exclusion Act remained in effect until 1943. However, even then there was still a pattern of the Chinese quota and assigned racial, not national, quotas to all Asian immigrants. It was not until 1965 when the act was fully abolished.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Chow, K. (2017, May 05). As Chinese exclusion act turns 135, experts point to parallels today. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/05/05/527091890/the-135-year-bridge-between-the-chinese-exclusion-act-and-a-proposed-travel-ban

Urban, A. (2011). Chinese exclusion in New Jersey: Immigration law in the past and present [Data set]. New Jersey Digital Highway. https://njdigitalhighway.org/exhibits/chinese_exclusion

Yee, M. (2019). From mug shots to masterpieces: Identities revealed through immigration portraits of the Chinese exclusion era. Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-11/yee/

Yelsey, R. (2015). The Chinese exclusion act raised the price of becoming an American. Humanities, 36(1). https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/januaryfebruary/feature/the-chinese-exclusion-act-raised-the-price-becoming-american

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

CLICK ON AN EVENT ABOVE TO LEARN MORE...

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The Opium Wars

Taiping Rebellion

California Gold Rush 

Chinese Americans and the Transcontinental Railroad

Chinese Exclusion Act

Second Sino-Japanese War

The Chinese Civil War

Northwest China Famine

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Japan's Comfort Women

Nanking Massacre

The War Brides

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Great Chinese Famine

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Immigration and Nationality Act

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Chinese Cultural Revolution

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COVID-19 Anti-Asian Sentiment

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