In response to union pressure, Congress approved the Chinese Exclusion Act in May 1882. This agreement with the Chinese government mandated the repatriation of any Chinese immigrants who arrived after 1880 and prohibited Chinese emigrants from entering the United States.
The 1850s saw a large influx of Chinese immigrants to America, the most of them were from the southern provinces of China, where millions had died as a result of starvation, conflict, and persecution. In the History Of America, Chinese laborers were actively sought after by American merchants for use in mines and other industries. A large portion of the labor for building the transcontinental railroads came from these laborers. Initially commended for their diligence, the praise gave way to animosity when the railroad was finished and job competition grew. Between 1880 and 1900, anti-Chinese political action and violence surged throughout the West, leaving a large number of people dead.
A list of background readings on the Chinese Exclusion Act is provided below, which you can assign to your students to help them learn more about it.
Chinese Immigration: A Synopsis
In the 1800s, turmoil tore through China. Poverty and starvation ravaged China following the Opium Wars with England. After being found at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, gold was said to have been found in the West in 1851. The goal of over 3,000 Chinese Immigration Act to the United States was to get wealthy.
Immigrants from Europe
In the nineteenth century, the West became the destination for millions of European immigrants looking for new homes, particularly in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Sometimes, the reason they arrived, or the way they came, was the railroad.
Isolation in Washington
Anti-Chinese prejudice persisted for a while until the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, there were over 200 cases of ethnic cleansing, many of which took place prior to the Act’s enactment.
Exit on the Rails they Constructed
Nine-year-old Ruby Chapin was appalled by what she saw going on in 1885. After her family relocated to Tacoma from New York two years prior, Chapin was perplexed as to why her Chinese neighbors were being driven out of town at gunpoint, having their houses set on fire, and having their businesses destroyed.
The fundamental source, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, can be found at the National Archives. One of the earliest pieces of legislation the US government established to officially discriminate against Chinese people was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It prohibited immigration for ten years, but the Geary Act of 1892 gave it more authority.
Statement by Lum May (primary source)
An eyewitness account of the Tacoma evacuation from a Chinese resident in 1886. Lum May describes the horrific incidents and how they affected his family.
James Wickersham’s letter (primary source)
The writing of a Tacoma city official involved in the expulsion clearly reflects the anti-Chinese fervor that spread through Puget Sound. White fears were echoed by James Wickersham, who eventually served as an Alaskan Territory delegate. He stated his concerns in this 1916 letter about “gaining possession of the Pacific coast of America” and “being confronted by millions of industrious hard-working” Chinese who will surpass their white neighbors.
The Tacoma Approach (original source)
The “Tacoma Method” was the name given to the process by which Tacoma residents drove out their Chinese population. The reputable source for that name is this article.
Olympian citizens were deputized to quell anti-Chinese riots (original source sourced from the Secretary of State in Washington)* In 1886, Sheriff William Billings used this periodical to appoint notable Olympians as peacemakers amid anti-Chinese rioting that saw a mob attempting to drive away the Chinese Person community. Quick thinking and decisive action stopped the mob from achieving this.
A Synopsis of the Chinese Exclusion Act (provided by Lehigh University)
Chinese people made up 25% of the work force and 8.6% of California’s overall population by 1870. Between the beginning of the California gold rush in 1849 and 1882, Chinese immigrants came to the American shores. It wasn’t until 1882 that the US Congress passed a federal law intended to forbid Chinese immigrants from entering or staying in the country.
An Asian American Historical Timeline
Thoughts on Barriers: We Penalize Boat People (image courtesy of the American Chinese Historical Society). Being left out is a bad thing. It targets a person’s identity, self-worth, and sense of self. It loses air. These regulations were first repealed in China in 1943, and then they were changed in 1946 and 1952. However, Asians were mentally excluded for a very long time before and even after any federal regulations were passed.
Conclusion
Wertheimer serves as a wake-up call to the pressing need for a reckoning in America in this great masterpiece. Based on the enduring problems that the United States has been dealing with for many years, he provides a convincing analysis of the possible divisions in the country. He drew attention to the swift historical and modern transformations that pose significant obstacles to a nation already beset by division. He brought up rebelling organizations that have been causing divisions within communities and how worrying it is that they might become more well-known.
He also called readers’ attention to the contentious red vs blue state debate, which may need to be addressed soon. Along with these contradictions, he also drew readers’ attention to the dubious nature of the 250-year-old US Constitution and Chinese In India, which raises concerns for the nation’s continued existence as a democracy.
By delving into this literary masterpiece, readers will be able to engage in a thought-provoking and transforming investigation of America’s persistent problems.
In addition to writing the novel “Secession,” Mr. Wertheimer is also a playwright. He has written plays such as “Your Simone,” “Arturo Ui,” “Brechts Revolt,” “Little Theatre,” “Selective Justice,” and “Verdict in Detroit,” which were all performed in 2004 at 45 Bleeker in New York City, the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, PA, and were winners of the Harold Kohn Award for “Plays Involving the Law” on a national level.
As an active practitioner, he has represented clients in multiple Civil Rights lawsuits before the US Supreme Court. He has been an attorney for more than 40 years. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Mayor’s Arts and Culture Advisory Council for nine years, he is the Chairman of the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), a Grammy voter, and a voting member of the National Association for Recording Artists. In addition to serving on the board of the Philadelphia Kimmel Center, he was vice chairman of the Philadelphia Music Alliance and the Philadelphia Art Alliance.