In the 1880s, America started its period of rapid industrialization, and this would ignite the second big wave of immigration into America. Most of these immigrants were coming from Southern, Eastern, and Central Europe with some of them being Italians and Jews. Because many immigrants came here seeking jobs, a new life, and political and religious freedom, they were often discriminated against because they were the large majority who took on factory and hard labor jobs. This wasn’t the first time that immigrants coming to America have faced anti-immigration prejudice and discrimination, but things changed when it came to the Chinese.
Passed on May 6, 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act became one of the most unjust immigration laws in the history of the United States. This came to be because many Americans felt like they were taking away all the jobs and lowering wages for everyone else. It was the first significant piece of legislation restricting immigration to the United States. This law was specifically aimed at Chinese immigrants. The act required Chinese immigrants to obtain certifications from the Chinese government that they were eligible to immigrate. The act required Chinese immigrants to prove that they were not laborers because the Exclusion Act denied skilled, unskilled, and Chinese miners from entering the country. The Exclusion Act also placed new restrictions on Chinese immigrants who were already in the country. If they left the United States, they had to obtain a certificate to re-enter. In addition, Congress refused state and federal courts the right to grant citizenship to Chinese residents. When the Exclusion Act expired in 1892, Congress reenacted it in the form of the Geary Act. This extension added restrictions by requiring each Chinese resident to register and obtain a residency certificate. Without a certificate, the Chinese could face deportation.
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Two court cases were challenging the Chinese Exclusion Act - United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) and Fong Yue Ting v. United States (1893). Wong Kim Ark argued that the act was unconstitutional and emphasized the 14th Amendment, according to which anyone born inside the United States is considered an American citizen. The Fong Yue Ting case challenged the Geary Act, which extended the Chinese Exclusion Act for another 10 years, but the Supreme Court ruled that Congress does have the right to exclude Chinese immigrants.
From my point of view, the Chinese Exclusion Act is a black page in our history, because it was absolutely unjust and immoral, violating basic human rights.
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Essay on the Chinese Exclusion Act.
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