Chinese Exclusion

A short history of immigration, discrimination and accommodation

Coming to America: Count ‘em

Back in China, end of Opium War, carving up of China, unrest, lack of land

California Gold Rush

1850 – 450

1852 – 25,000

1880s – more than 100,000

Fewer than 2% women

Bachelor communities

California Gold Rush

First big immigration wave to “Gun San”

Mining, Central Pacific RR, laundering

$1.00 per day

Bachelors

Welcome to America

Labor cheap (suspect to working “native” citizens) Anti-immigrant labor sentiments

Foreign mine tax

Alien poll tax

1850s Calif. Judge said Chinese couldn’t testify1870s Anti-Coolies Association & Supreme Order of Caucasians boycott Chinese businessesRiots in Chinatowns across the West

1870s book: Chinese in California

One can hardly help laughing at the strange race, they seem such a queer sort of patch in the mottled quilt of California life. They do everything in such a comical way! They never walk, but jog; they never run, but trot. If they ride horseback, as they are fond of doing, they sit so near the horse's tail, they are in constant danger of going off behind. When they wish to rest in their journeys afoot, they squat down, three or four often in a row, in the most ridiculous attitude imaginable.

Chinese Response

1855 Chinese Merchants organize to protest discriminationChinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (Chinese 6 Companies)Petition President Grant on behalf of Chinese

1870s difficulties

Decline in Mining

Termination of the Trans-continental RR

Panic of 1873 – Unemployment high

Scapegoat Chinese

The Opium Den

Denis Kearney: “The Chinese Must Go”

Chinese Exclusion Act - 1882

Barred Chinese from entering U.S. for 10 years (merchants teachers, students, travelers under strict regulations)Chinese already residing in U.S. had to have a permit to reenterGranted Chinese permanent resident alien status (no citizenship) Extended twice (finally repealed in 1943)