Chinese Exclusion Act of
1882
The Chinese Exclusion Act
● Negotiations began in
1880 with act being
signed into law in 1882 by
President Chester A.
Arthur. It was initially a ten
year suspension.
● Geary Act 1892 extended
another ten years
● 1902 Chinese immigration
made permanently illegal
Important Dates
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1888- The Scott Act
1917-Asiatic Barred Zone
1943-WWII and the end of CEA
1965-National Immigration Act
Background
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First Chinese migrated between the 1850’s and 70’s; primarily to the West
Coast
Burlingame Treaty 1868- established friendly relations
Worked for minimal wages to pay migrant loans and support families in China
Assisted in building of first transcontinental railroad and the California gold
rush.
Composed .002 % of population but were blamed for declining wages and
economic troubles
Some argued Chinese lowered standards
Lasting Effect
● Magnuson Act repealed in 1943 due to WWII, limited to
105 per year
● Immigration Act of 1965
○ capped immigrants at 170, 000 each year from
outside of Western hemisphere
● Changed drastically to allow for immigrants to bring
families, no cap on number
Significance
● Made immigration to the United States much more
difficult
Sources
http://www.history.com/topics/chinese-exclusion-act
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=47
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/exclusion.html
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c2454f42-cb344c9c-9020-b51877073f15%40sessionmgr4001&vid=1&hid=4210