Chinese Immigration During the Exclusion Era

Research by 志愿者 - Katelyn Suen

It all began with a few hundred Chinese immigrants that bravely crossed the Pacific Ocean into new, unfamiliar land. Their willingness to embark on a journey to America is the sole reason why Chinese Americans can call the United States home today. Soon after their arrival, Chinese Americans were met with language barriers, limited resources, and unwelcoming Americans that just piled on more problems. What they experienced was unfair and unjustified, but what events shaped Chinese immigration to what life is today? 

The earliest groups of Chinese immigrants arrived during the 1850s to pursue the “American Dream” during the Gold Rush. Enticed by the opportunity,  people from all around the world seeked new economic opportunities in America. During the mid 1850s, more than 300,000 people arrived and of those, 30% were Chinese immigrants. At the time, anti-Chinese sentiment reached an all time high, setting a precedent of anti-foreigner prejudice. Much of this was a direct result of the Chinese Exclusion Act. To make matters worse, in 1854, the People v. Hall case stated that any “Non-White” person could not testify against a White individual in court. This definitely put Chinese Americans at a disadvantage, and unfortunately, things didn't end there. 

After achieving some success during the Gold Rush, many Chinese miners stayed in America as laborers. The Chinese were diligent workers who didn’t mind risking their lives to build the transcontinental railroad. Because White laborers were reluctant to attempt such dangerous tasks, Chinese workers were in demand, eventually making up 90% of the workforce. Their job included everything from unskilled labor to blacksmithing, tunneling, and carpentry, mostly work done with hand tools. Despite their significant contributions, they were still unfairly treated. Their wages were 30-50% lower than the average pay because of the racism that lurked around immigrants. Instead of recognizing their diligence and hard work, America overlooked their contributions because of their status. 

During the 1880s, following the arrival of many Chinese immigrants, anti-Chinese sentiment became more and more prevalent, but one of the most infamous attacks being the Tacoma Riot of 1885. Back then in Tacoma, Washington  approximately 700 Chinese immigrants resided there searching for jobs. However, soon after the arrival of many Chinese laborers, Tacoma citizens complained that Chinese immigrants were "unfair labor competitors." After months of meticulous planning, the city's prominent leaders including mayor Jacob Weisbach, devised a plan to expel all remaining immigrants and discourage the employment of Chinese people. On November 3, 1885, a mob led by Weisbach infiltrated homes and businesses, forcefully instructing occupants to leave the city without their belongings. Under the impression of the Exclusion Act, prominent figures began eliminating Chinese people, causing an uprising in Chinese-related attacks. What once was Tacoma's Chinatown was burned to the ground the next day.  

Although assaults against Chinese immigrants were becoming widespread with no signs of a suitable solution, Chinese immigration didn’t slow down during the 1910s to 1940s. In fact, there was an influx in Chinese immigration, so the government began to enforce rules intended to regulate immigrants from entering. An extensive and time-consuming process was used to limit immigrants, so meanwhile, they were provided with a facility to rest in. When the government received sufficient funds, an immigration facility on Angel Island was built. In order to officially enter, passengers were subject to long interrogations, intended to find some excuse to refuse entry. This approach was a direct effect of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which had resulted from years of racial hostility between white Americans and Chinese immigrants. 

At the peak of Chinese oppression, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, starting a new era in Chinese immigration. With this new law in place, the Chinese were liberated from racial oppression and granted basic rights. Now, families were able to reunite and freely immigrate from China to the U.S. Since the 1960s to the present day, lots of improvements within our government have been changed. Unfair laws have been relinquished, but the question remains, is this enough? On the surface, it may seem that recent Chinese hate crimes are stemed from Covid 19, but its critical to recognize that anti-asian discrimination is deep-rooted in American culture. 

May 18,2022