Chinese Exclusion Act

The 1882 federal law that suspended the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years and rendered them ineligible for citizenship. A series of subsequent laws targeting Chinese immigrants persisted until the 1940s.

List of items

Historical Appeal

Historical Appeal: To the President of the United States, and to the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled [Protest against ill-treatment of Chinese. s. I. 1885]

The Library of Congress features an 1885 appeal to Congress by Californian and other West Coast residents on the issues of anti-Chinese violence and…

Video

Video: The Chinese Exclusion Act: A Special Presentation of American Experience, Duration: 3:17

The Public Broadcasting Service features a 3-minute clip from a 2018 documentary that explores the context in which the United States government…

Video

Video: The Chinese Exclusion Act, Duration: 2:18

NBC News Learn features a short video on the Chinese Exclusion Act and Chinese immigration to the United States in the mid 1800s. The piece provides a…

Video

Video: he Chinese Exclusion Act, Resistance, Duration: 46:06

Steeplechase Films presents a 46 minute documentary title, The Chinese Exclusion Act- Resistance. The video highlights the history of Chinese…

Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon: What Shall We Do with John Chinaman?

Note: This cartoon contains racial depictions and content that some viewers may find insensitive.This Library of Congress source features a political…

Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon: The only one barred out Enlightened American statesman - "We must draw the line somewhere, you know."

Note: Political cartoon located top-center of the newspaper page.This Library of Congress source features a political cartoon published by Frank…

Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon: Hobson's Choice - you can go or stay / J.A. Wales

This political cartoon, published by James Albert Whales on February 24, 1886, provides a perspective on Chinese exclusion in Oregon. The source…

Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon: The anti-Chinese wall-- The American wall goes up as the Chinese original goes down / F. Gratz

This political cartoon, published on March 29th, 1882, portrays laborers, among whom are Irishmen, an African American, a White Civil War veteran,…

Historical Article

Historical Article: "Why the Chinese Should Be Excluded" by James D. Phelan

This American Yawp Reader source features a North American Review article published by the mayor of San Francisco, James D. Phelan, in 1901, that…

Article

Article: Anti-Asian violence has surged in the US since COVID-19. But it didn't start here

This contemporary article, published by Maura Hohman in TODAY on March 8th, 2021, provides a perspective on the 2021 anti-Asian violence in Atlanta…

Article

Article: The Ghost of Chae Chan Ping: A Chinese-exclusion case from the 1880s set a precedent that haunts the legal fight over Trump's travel ban, by Garrett Epps

The Atlantic features a January 20, 2018 article, by Garrett Epps, makes a connection between the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the legal…

Historical Newspaper

Historical Newspaper: Chinese Exclusion--Friend and Foe, Justice and Prejudice Express Opinions of the Chinaman

Note: See 1st column, 5th paragraph.Chronicling America presents a July 27, 1893 article from the Prison Mirror newspaper (MN) that gives multiple…

Historical Newspaper

Historical Newspaper: Avoidance of the Chinese Restriction Act

Note: See 1st column, 1st paragraph.Chronicling America presents an October 20, 1883 article from the Lyon County Times (writer unknown) about the…

Historical Newspaper

Historical Newspaper: The Chinese Exclusion Act

Note: See 3rd column, mid-section.The September 28, 1883 article from the Idaho Semi-Weekly World (write unknown) provides a perspective on Chinese…

Historical Newspaper

Historical Newspaper: Chinese Exclusion Act

Note: See 2nd column, last paragraph.Chronicling America features a short October 19, 1883 article from the Savannah Daily News (writer unknown) that…

Historical Letter

Historical Letter: Letter from Banker John Alton to Secretary of State John Hay Regarding the Chinese Exclusion Act

DocsTeach features a 1901 letter from the banker John Alton of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Los Angeles to Secretary of State John Hay about the…

View all 20 items »