The Chinese Exclusion Act was a very important law that was passed as part of the United States immigration policies. It is one of the most racist laws passed by the United States government. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned all Chinese immigrants from entering the United States (Menlo School). It was at first enacted only for 10 years. In 1892, when the ten years were up, the Chinese Exclusion Act got extended for another ten more years and it made the Chinese ineligible to become American citizens (Menlo School). Then in 1902, the United States government made the Chinese Exclusion Act permanent (Menlo School). American residents at first disliked the Chinese workers, but then hated them.
The Chinese workers were hard workers who came to the land of the opportunity for a better way of life. The Gold rush happened in the year 1848 and this pulled more Chinese immigrants toward the United States (Menlo School). Just when they thought all their troubles were over, they were wrong. They had to endure many harsh years and tolerate bad treatment, even though all they were hard working, good people.
Asian immigrants from other countries faced similar fates after the Chinese did, including the Japanese and the Filipinos. During World War II, the Chinese helped the United States in the fight against Japan. This historic event changed Americans' feelings toward the Chinese. Because of this, the United States repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act that was first enacted in 1882 (Menlo School). It was an end to the discrimination that plagued Chinese immigrants.
Sources:
Chinese Exclusion Act 1882." our documents. 1989. 20 Jul. 2005 <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=time&doc=47>.
"The Chinese Exclusion Act: A Black Legacy." Menlo School. 25 Jul. 2005 <http://sun.menloschool.org/~mbrody/ushistory/angel/exclusion_act/>."Chinese Exclusion Act 1882." The Reader's
Companion to American History. Houghton Mifflin. 28 Jul. 2005 <http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_016400_chineseexclu.htm>. |
