Chinese Exclusion Act Research Paper

Canada is a country built on immigration, mainly British at first, but from all over the world afterwards. Chinese immigration to Canada dates back to the period of the gold rush when they were recruited to mine. In the 1880's, the Chinese population increased after Canada joined the confederation and extra labour was required to build a cross-country railway. Due to the poor economy in China, many Chinese were willing to migrate and work for low wages. The Canadian government seized this opportunity and allowed the companies working on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to import Chinese immigrants. With a drive for completion a significant number of Chinese were recruited. In order to control this increase in immigration, the

In his article, Christopher argue the process and influence of the “1885 Chinese Immigration Act” by talking about the history of Chinese migrants in Canada, how did Canada turn its back on those people, how they were treated in Canadian society and the senators who defense for Chinese Canadians. The author Christopher G. Anderson is a researcher who works Canada’s immigrant history, and the entrance of Chinese is a significant event during late 19th century until early 20th century. In this summary, I will talk about how did Canada betray those people and how did they fight back.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a nativist act passed by people who were afraid of a Chinese dominated workforce and the resulting backlash.

I believe that the Chinese exclusion act was a bad act for America due to it giving the Chinese men and women receiving more hate from the white men than they already had. In Document A it talks about how Chinese men are being perceived as from the white men. They made a play called “The Chinese must go” in which they not only made of them but racially/verbally attacked them with word as though a Chinese man was speaking. This play clearly shows us how poorly the white men treated the Chinese, they treated them exactly as if they were African American Slaves, which in that time era was normal due to the white men have hate against both races at the time. White men were acting in the play as Chinese men

In the late 1800s, America passed a fierce act due to the rising tension between the Chinese immigrants and whites. Chinese immigrants were troubled with biased laws and stereotyping. The Chinese Exclusion Act was one of these law. It... The immigrants were stereotyped as barbarians, anti-christian, anti-white, or as slaves. They were called heathens, racial slurs, and much worse; and the Chinese were seen as idolaters, the lowest, and the vilest. Some may argue they were taking over jobs because of how they were willing to work for less. But ultimately, the most influential factor in why Americans passed the Chinese Exclusion Act was racial prejudice toward the Chinese.

The influences that contributed to the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 was nativism and racial prejudice against Chinese immigrants.

The Chinese Exclusion Act came into effect on July 1, 1923 and was directed specifically toward the Chinese community in order to limit the number of Chinese nationals entering Canada. This caused controversy and turmoil throughout Canada as government discrimination directed at Chinese Canadians during this time played a crucial part in the treatment of these individuals. By introducing the idea of a ‘White Canada Forever’, a popular phrase used by politicians during this time, it strengthened the division among Chinese Canadians and the rest of the population. After the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1967, the Chinese community continued to live under strict limits and Chinese nationals continued to have a difficult time attempting

There were multiple reasons why the Chinese experienced discrimination, most reasons coming from the fact that the Americans felt threatened by the presence of these foreign people they have never had experience with before. The Chinese stole jobs by working for cheap, they had an extremely different culture than the westerners, and the Americans did not like them; this made them targets of discrimination. As stated in the Chinese Exclusion Act, "...the coming of Chinese laborers to the United States be, and the same hereby,suspened" (DOC 1). This quote shows an example of one of the unfair laws made against the Chinese because they were disliked by the Americans. The Chinese Exclusion Act made them easier to be cruel towards.

During this time the Chinese Exclusion Act was in place, forbidding the entrance of Chinese immigrants into the United States.

The Chinese exclusion act was a movement that prohibited Chinese immigration; people used it as a discrimination against Chinese people. In one year Chinese immigration dropped from 40,000 to 23. This shows how people where violent and discriminant to Chinese fellows.

After World War Two, Canada’s immigration policy changed. From World War Two to the 1960s, Canada’s immigration policy was restrictive and the government still favoured European and American immigrants because they were more likely to adapt to the Canadian society. The government did try to limit the number of other immigrants. By 1947, the Chinese Exclusion Act was revoked by the federal government. This was a step in the right direction to make Canada’s immigration policy to be more reasonable. By 1962, Canada removed regulations on immigrants from Africa, Asia and other countries. Under Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Canada’s immigration policy became “colour-blind”

Besides, in congress debates, people talked about racism and discriminatory prejudice against Chinese and African American. One senator said this, “the Caucasian race has a right, considering its superiority of intellectual force and mental vigor, to look down upon every other branch of the human family…we are the superior race today.” The Chinese Exclusion Act began being harsher and harsher. Chinese immigrants who have right to return were also forced to go back to China in 1889 by the Scott Act. Later on, other Asians were also prohibited from entering the United States. This is the first law of prohibition of race-based restrictions. After 1882, Chinese visitors who want admission to America had to take strict screening process so that they could prove that they met the requirements for entering. In 1892, the Geary Act was enacted. The Act has three requirements. One is to extend the ban on Chinese immigrants for ten years. Two is to create a presumption that persons of Chinese descent were residing in the United States unlawfully. Three is a requirement for labor to acquire a certificate confirming their legal status.

For example, the Chinese were the first people to be excluded because of their ethnicity. The Chinese Immigration act started in 1923. They had to pay a head tax, they were the only group that had to pay. The Chinese individuals needed to pay $50 to come and live Canada. That may not seem like a lot but back then it was lots of money.

The United States has had tension with Asian immigrants since the first wave of migration in the 1840’s, and in 1882 the United States declared a Chinese Exclusion which was to keep all Chinese from migrating into the United States. For the Chinese already in the U.S this created worry and tension. With the Chinese people no longer being welcome the freedom for the Chinese inside which was already not much was even more condensed. The little equality that they had was taken away and they were excluded, and looked down upon everywhere they went. They had trouble living and socially because of the prejudice they were facing. An example of the Chinese struggle before the exclusion act would be the Chinese Lynching that took place in 1871. In Los Angeles a mob captured men and in this case a 12 year old boy and hung them all at a Spanish hacienda because of the citizens strong discrimination against

The first measure restricting immigration enacted by Congress was a law in 1862 forbidding American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to Canada; 20 years later Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act excluding Chinese immigrants. In 1875, 1882, and 1892, acts passed by Congress provided for the examination of immigrants and for the exclusion from Canada of convicts, polygamists, prostitutes, persons suffering from loathsome or contagious diseases, and persons liable to become public charges. The Alien Contract Labor Laws of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1891 prohibited the immigration to Canada of persons entering the country to work under contracts made before their arrival; professional actors, artists, singers, lecturers, educators, ministers, and personal and domestic servants were exempt from this provision. Alien skilled laborers, under these laws, were permitted to enter Canada to work in new industries. A diplomatic agreement made in 1907 by Canada and Japan provided that the Japanese government would not issue passports to Japanese laborers intending to enter Canada; under the terms of this agreement, Canada government refrained until 1924 from enacting laws excluding Japanese immigrants.