Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Cultural  

1. A federal law passed in response to complaints by workers on the West Coast that competition from Chinese immigrants was driving down their wages and threatening white “racial purity.” It suspended Chinese immigration for ten years and declared Chinese immigrants ineligible for naturalization as American citizens. The law was renewed in 1892 for another ten years, and in 1902 Chinese immigration was permanently banned. Chinese immigrants did not become eligible for citizenship until 1943.

---

Example Sentences

Chin is an expert in immigration law, specifically the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 that made it incredibly difficult for Chinese people to immigrate to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2024

The title refers, in part, to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers; designed to last 10 years, it was not repealed until 1943.

From New York Times • May 30, 2023

The collection also includes more than 50,000 original files related to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2021

The series covers well-known events like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the World War II internment of Japanese Americans and the 1982 beating death of Vincent Chin in Detroit.

From Washington Times • May 8, 2020

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, reenacted and strengthened again in 1892 and in 1902, excluded all Chinese laborers from the United States.

From Sociology and Modern Social Problems by Ellwood, Charles A. (Charles Abram)