Chinese Exclusion Act Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Chinese Exclusion Act?

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first and only law in United States history to ban immigration from a specific group of people. The law, which prohibited all immigration from China for ten years, was an effort to stem the tide of Chinese immigrants who had been arriving in large numbers since 1849. While the act did not initially lead to permanent exclusion, it set a precedent for future legislation restricting immigration from other countries.The economic and cultural differences between Chinese immigrants and white Americans was one of the main reasons for passing the act. In particular, many white Americans feared that Chinese immigrants were taking jobs away from them as well as lowering wages due to their willingness to work for less pay than what citizens would demand. Additionally, some whites viewed the Chinese culture as foreign and inferior; this led them to believe that if they allowed more migrants into their country then it would weaken American culture. In addition, anti-Chinese sentiment was growing due to reports coming out of California about violence against both Chinese miners and settlers. There were also organizations like The Workingmen’s Party which called on lawmakers to keep out the Mongolian horde while claiming they posed an economic threat. In response to these fears, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act on May 6th 1882 which prohibited skilled or unskilled laborers from entering America for ten years; this included merchants who sought entry but made exceptions for those already living in America or those coming with special permission such as diplomats or teachers. The act also required all Chinese persons living within the US at the time register with local authorities; this was done so that officials could keep track of how many individuals were residing in each locality at any given time (and deport those who had entered illegally). The effects of this act were felt immediately by members of the community: Over 15000 people left San Francisco alone after its passage as they expected further persecution or deportation if they stayed behind while businesses owned by ethnic Chinese suffered greatly due no longer having access new customers or workers coming into America through legal channels.