Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
Immigration to the US Resources | Other Resources
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| Pictures of Old Chinatown, by Arnold Genthe, 1908. |
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first major law restricting immigration to the United States. It was enacted in response to economic fears, especially on the West Coast, where native-born Americans attributed unemployment and declining wages to Chinese workers whom they also viewed as racially inferior. The Chinese Exclusion Act, signed into law on May 6, 1882, by President Chester A. Arthur, effectively halted Chinese immigration for ten years and prohibited Chinese from becoming US citizens. Through the Geary Act of 1892, the law was extended for another ten years before becoming permanent in 1902.
After the Gold Rush of 1849, the Chinese were drawn to the West Coast as a center of economic opportunity where, for example, they helped build the first transcontinental railroad by working on the Central Pacific from 1864 to 1869. The Chinese Exclusion Act foreshadowed the immigration-restriction acts of the 1920s, culminating in the National Origins Act of 1929, which capped overall immigration to the United States at 150,000 per year and barred Asian immigration.
The law was repealed by the Magnuson Act in 1943 during World War II, when China was an ally in the war against imperial Japan. Nevertheless, the 1943 act still allowed only 105 Chinese immigrants per year, reflecting persisting prejudice against the Chinese in American immigration policy. It was not until the Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated previous national-origins policy, that large-scale Chinese immigration to the United States was allowed to begin again after a hiatus of over 80 years.
^ TOPImmigration to the US Resources
Listed below are digital resources from the Immigration to the US collection about, or related to, the Chinese Exclusion Act. These resources represent only a selection of what exists on these topics. More physical materials on these topics may be available at the owning repositories, some of which are open to the public.
Publications
Aldus, Don. Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping. London: McCorquodale, c. 1876.
Beck, Louis. New York's Chinatown: An Historical Presentation of Its People and Places. New York: Bohemia Publishing, c. 1898.
Bennett, H.C. "Chinese Labor: A Lecture." San Francisco: [s.n.], 1870.
Borden, Robert. The Question of Oriental Immigration. [S.I.: s.n., 1908?].
Brace, Charles. The New West, or California in 1867-1868. New York: G. P. Putnam & Son, 1869.
Bromley, Isaac. The Chinese Massacre at Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory, September 2, 1885. Boston: Franklin Press, Rand, Avery & Co., 1886.
Cailleux, Edouard. La Question Chinoise aux Etats-Unis et dans les Possessions des Puissances Européennes. Paris: A. Rousseau, 1898.
California State Board of Control. California and the Oriental: Japanese, Chinese, and Hindus. Sacramento: California State Printing Office, 1922.
California Legislature. The Chinese Question: Report of the Special Committee on Assembly Bill No. 13. Sacramento: D.W. Gelwicks, State Printer, 1870.
California Legislature: Special Committee on Chinese Immigration. Chinese immigration: Its Social, Moral, and Political Effect. Sacramento: F.P. Thompson, supt. state printing, 1878.
Capp, Charles S. The Church and Chinese Immigration. San Francisco, Cal.: [s.n.], 1890.
Chentung, Liang-Cheng. Note from the Chinese Minister to the Secretary of State on Chinese Exclusion and the Anti-American Boycott. [Washington: s.n., 1905].
Chinese Equal Rights League. Appeal of the Chinese Equal Rights League to the People of the United States for Equality of Manhood. New York: Chinese Equal Rights League, 1892.
Chinese and Japanese in America. Philadelphia: American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1909.
Clark, Helen. The Lady of the Lily Feet: and Other Stories of Chinatown. Philadelphia: Griffith & Rowland Press, 1902.
Corbett, Sidney. The "Chinese Question." A Sermon Preached at the Church of the Transfiguration, Philadelphia. [Philadelphia, Pa.: s.n., 1893] (Press of Globe Printing House).
Cowan, Robert and Boutwell Dunlap. Bibliography of the Chinese Question in the United States. San Francisco: A.M. Robertson, 1909.
Culin, Stewart. "Customs of the Chinese in America." Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1890.
Culin, Stewart. The Gambling Games of the Chinese in America: Fán T’án, the Game of Repeatedly Spreading Out, and Pák Kňp Pěu, or, the Game of White Pigeon Ticket. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1891.
Curious Schools. Boston: D. Lothrop, c. 1881.
Dee, M.J. "Chinese Immigration" The North American Review. May-June, 1878, Pages 511-526. New York: D. Appleton, 1878.
Denslow, Van Buren. "The Chinese Question." New York: A.S. Barnes, 1881.
De Normandie, James. The injustice to the Chinese: A Sermon Preached to the First Church, Eliot Square, Roxbury, Boston. Boston, Mass.: Women’s Alliance of the First Church, c. 1892.
Everett, William. Amendment of the Chinese Exclusion Act: Speech of Hon. William Everett, of Massachusetts, in the House of Representatives, Saturday, October 14, 1893. Washington: [s.n.], 1893.
Frémont, Jessie Benton. How to Learn and Earn, or, Half Hours in Some Helpful Schools. Boston: D. Lothrop, c1884.
Genthe, Arnold. Pictures of old Chinatown. New York: Moffat, Yard, 1908.
Gibson, Otis. The Chinese in America. Cincinnati: Hitchcock & Walden, 1877.
Grimm, Frederic. Notes on Civilization, Over-production, Competition, Protection, Silver Question, Chinese, etc.: Giving a Cause for the Present Dull Times. San Francisco: [s.n.], 1886.
Guiterman, Arthur. Chips of Jade: Being Chinese Proverbs with More Folk-sayings from Hindustan and Other Oriental Countries. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1927.
Gulick, Sidney. American Democracy and Asiatic Citizenship. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1918.
Healy, Patrick. A Statement For Non-exclusion. San Francisco: [s.n.], 1905.
Hernisz, Stanislas. A Guide to Conversation in the English and Chinese Languages: For the Use of Americans and Chinese in California and Elsewhere. Boston: J.P. Jewett, 1854.
Hilborn, Samuel G. Chinese Exclusion: Speech of Hon. Samuel G. Hilborn, of California, in the House of Representatives, Saturday, October 14, 1893.
Holcombe, Chester. The Real Chinese Question. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1900.
Kahn, Julius. Asiatic Immigration: Speech of Hon. Julius Kahn in the House of Representatives. Washington: [s.n.], 1907.
Kohler, Max. "The Oppressive Proposed Registration of Aliens."Address before the National Immigration Conference, Dec. 14, 1923. New York: Baron de Hirsch Trade School Press, 1923.
McNeil, George E., ed. The Labor Movement: The Problem of To-day.Milwaukee, Wis.: Northwestern Pub. Co., 1891.
Lay, G. Tradescant. The Chinese as They Are: Their Moral and Social Character, Manners, Customs, Language: with Remarks on their Arts and Sciences, Medical Skill, the Extent of Missionary Enterprise, etc. Baltimore: W. Taylor, 1843.
Lee, Joseph. Anti-Chinese Legislation in Australasia. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1889.
Lee, Joseph. Anti-Chinese Legislation in British America. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1889.
Li, Tien-Lu. Congressional Policy of Chinese Immigration. Nashville, TN: Printed for the author, Pub. House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1916.
Library of Congress. Select List of References on Chinese Immigration. Washington: G.P.O., 1904.
Martin, W. A. P. "Traces of International Law in Ancient China." The International Review. Pages 63-77. New York: Industrial Review Publishing Co., 1883.
Morse, Elijah Adams. The Chinese Exclusion Act, Known as the Geary Law: Speech of Hon. Elijah A. Morse, M.C., of Massachusetts, in the House of Representatives, Friday, October 13, 1893. Washington: [s.n.], 1893.
New York Chamber of Commerce. The Chinese Exclusion Act: Report and Resolutions: Adopted by the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, December 5, 1889. New York: [s.n.], 1889 (New York: Press of De Leeuw & Oppenheimer).
New York Chamber of Commerce. Committee on Foreign Commerce and the Revenue Laws. Report of the Committee on Foreign Commerce and the Revenue Laws of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York on the Chinese Question: Adopted by the Chamber, June 2, 1892. New-York: Press of the Chamber of Commerce, 1892.
Nye, Gideon. The Coolie Question in 1856-1862: A Brief Vindication. Hong Kong: Printed by C.A. Saint, 1869.
Rayner, Isidor. Speech of Hon. Isidor Rayner, of Maryland, in the Senate of the United States, in support of his resolutions holding that the educational institutions of the states can not be interfered with by the federal government in the exercise of its treaty-making power. Washington: [s.n.] 1906.
Sarkar, Benoy. "Americanization from the Viewpoint of Young Asia."The Journal of International Relations. Vol. 10, No. 1, July, 1919.
Scudder, Doremus. "Chinese Citizenship in Hawaii."[New York: s.n., 1905].
Seward, George. Chinese Immigration, in its Social and Economical Aspects. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1881.
Seward, George. The United States and China: An address before the Congregational Club of Brooklyn. New York: Fidelity and Casualty Co., 1902.
Stidger, Oliver Perry. Commentary on Proposed Immigration and Exclusion Law. San Francisco: Allen Print Co, 1913.
Sui Sin Far. Mrs. Spring Fragrance. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1912.
Tow, Julius Su. The Real Chinese in America: Being an Attempt to Give the General American Public a Fuller Knowledge and a Better Understanding of the Chinese People in the United States. New York: Academy Press, [c1923].
Townsend, L.T. The Chinese Problem. Boston: Lee and Shepard; New York: C.T. Dillingham, 1876.
Truth versus Fiction, Justice versus Prejudice: A Plain and Unvarnished Statement Why Exclusion Laws Against the Chinese Should not be Re-enacted. United States: [s.n.], c. 1902.
Webster, Prentiss. "Acquisition of Citizenship and Application of the Rule to the Case of Chin King: Recently Decided in the United States Circuit Court for Oregon." Reprinted from American Law Review., September-October, 1889. St. Louis: Review Pub. Co., 1889.
Whitney, James A. The Chinese and the Chinese Question, second edition. New York: Tibbals Book Co., 1888.
United States Bureau of Immigration. Compilation from the Records of the Bureau of Immigration of Facts Concerning the Enforcement of the Chinese-exclusion Laws. Washington: G.P.O., 1906.
United States Congress. Exclusion of Chinese Laborers. Washington: G.P.O., 1902.
United States Congress: Committee on Immigration. Chinese Exclusion. Washington: G.P.O., 1902.
Van Norden, Warner. Who’s Who of the Chinese in New York. New York: Warner M. Van Norden, 1918.
Yung, Wing. My Life in China and America. New York: H. Holt, 1909.
^ TOPOther Resources
Listed below are web sites about, or related to, the Chinese Exclusion Act. These resources are listed to point users to further information outside the context of the Immigration to the US collection. The Open Collections Program and Harvard University bear no responsibility for the contents of these web sites. This list is not intended to be comprehensive.
PBS Online. New Perspectives on the West: Text of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
University of California Berkley, California Historical Society, Bancroft Library, and the Ethnic Studies Library. The Chinese in California, 1850-1925.
San Francisco China Town.:Text of the Geary Act.
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