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Chinese
Immigration:
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Exclusion
Although
opposition to the Chinese
exclusion bill existed, supporters of the bill were much stronger and
the bill passed in both houses.[1]
On May 6, 1882, President Chester A. Arthur signed and passed
into law the Chinese Exclusion Act, barring all Chinese laborers from
the United States.[2]
The Chinese Exclusion Act stated:
The
opinion of the Government of the United States that the coming of
Chinese
laborers to this country
endangers the good order of certain localities within the
territory thereof and
should therefore be suspended for the next ten years.[3] “People
can be finally thankful for that there will be a deliverance from the
evils of coolieism.”[4]
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first federal law banning
groups from entering the United States based on race or nationality.
However, with the exception of a few San Franciscans, there was
little rejoicing after its passage.
It was as if the United States had immediately realized the depth
of the moral mistake they had just made and wished to forget about it.[5]
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
achieved its desired effect and significantly reduced the number of
Chinese immigrants crossing America’s borders.
The Exclusion Act was made possible due to the conditions of
economic competition and a prevailing culture of racism.[6]
A precedent was now established for further restrictions on
immigration to be endorsed. The
United States would ban Chinese again in 1892, 1902, and 1904, leading
to the Immigration Act of 1924, which essentially barred all Asian
immigrants from the United States.
In enacting the anti-Chinese bill, the United States set the
standard and built the framework for immigration policy that still
haunts us today.[7]
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 left with it a legacy of
racism, and is still one of the most infamous and tragic pieces of
legislation passed in United States history. [1] Ibid, 3532. [2] Choy, Dong, and Horn, The Coming Man, 19. [3] Ibid, 147. [4] San Francisco Chronicle, 9 May 1882, col. 3, p. 3. [5] Gyory, Closing the Gate, 254. [6] Lee, “Asian Immigration,” 375. [7] Gyory, Closing the Gate, 259.
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Created by Jaime Boyle Last Updated 12/06/03 |
