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First Filipinos in the United States
Known as “Manilamen,” these Filipinos jumped ship off the Spanish galleon as a result of the Manila Galleon Trade. They established a settlement in St. Malo, Louisiana, that became a shrimping and fishing village, later creating settlements such as Saint Malo, Manila Village in Barataria Bay. These early settlements were discovered by a Harpur’s Weekly journalist in 1883, and since then, Manilamen are regarded as the first Asians that came to the United States. -
Chinese sailors first came to Hawaii
The same year that Captain James Cook came upon the island. Many settled and married Hawaiian women. -
First Asian Indians in the U.S.
Following American independence from the British, Indian immigrants began entering the independent U.S as maritime workers -
Naturalization Act
The 1790 Naturalization Act was intended to prevent Chinese immigrants, along with other foreign-born people of color from becoming U.S. citizens. The process of naturalization to U.S., citizenship was to be restricted to free white persons (excluding indentured servants from Europe). Consequently, the 1790 Naturalization Act was widely used as legislation to exempt certain groups of Asian immigration up until the early 1950′s. -
Chinese begin to immigrate via Sino-U.S. maritime trade.
mostly merchants, sailors, and students -
Siamese Twins
First twin Chinese babies found in Siam (now known as Thailand) to be connected by flesh at the chest. Chang and Eng became world-famous and known as “Siamese Twins” from which the term originated from. The twins toured the world, performing ordinary acts with their conjoined body, and eventually accepted and naturalized as an American citizen in North Carolina. -
The Chinese Lady
Juila Foochee ching-chang king (Afong Moy) was the first documented Chinese woman to come to America, arriving in the New York harbor. She was brought over by two American traders, Nathaniel and Frederick Carne, who placed Afong Moy in an exhibition hall on display on November 6, 1834. Spectators paid 25 cents to observe Moy eating with chopsticks, speaking Chinese, and waking around in her bound feet. -
First Japanese Arrive in the United States
The first documented Japanese arrive in the United States in 1843, with many working as domestic servants for middle-class white families. There were two main types of domestic servants 1) school boys, those who lived in the house to cook and serve household duties who could sometimes attend classes during the day, and 2) day workers who lived in boarding houses with the same tasks. In addition, man Japanese immigrants found occupations similar to Chinese immigrants. -
Gold Rush Period
The gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), and Latin America, but in total, the news of gold brought over 300,000 people to California. The presence of gold encouraged thousands of Chinese immigrants to arrive during this period in U.S. history. -
California Supreme Court case ruled that the testimony of a Chinese man who witnessed a murder by a white man was inadmissible.
The People of the State of California v. George W. Hall or People v. Hall was an appealed murder case in the 1850s in which the California Supreme Court established that Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants had no rights to testify against white citizens. The opinion was delivered in 1854 by Chief Justice Hugh Murray with the concurrence of Justice J. Heydenfeldt. The ruling effectively freed Hall, a white man, who had been convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Ling Sing, a Chi -
California's "Police Tax"
California imposes a “police tax” of $2.50 a month on all Chinese living in the state. The California Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional later in 1862. -
The Central Pacific Railroad Co. recruits Chinese workers for the transcontinental railroad from California to Utah.
Many are killed or injured in the harsh conditions blasting through difficult mountain terrain. -
The Fourteenth Amendment gives full citizenship to every baby born in the U.S., regardless of race.
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Golden Spike Day
The Transcontinental Railroad, originally known as the Pacific Railroad, was completed in May of 1869. This great American accomplishment could not have been achieved without the extraordinary efforts of Chinese Americans. The Chinese American workers comprised of at least 80% of the workforce, however while the white workers were given their monthly salary at about $35 including food and shelter, the Chinese immigrants received a salary of about $28, without food and shelter. -
First "Chinatown"
The first identifiable Chinatown in Los Angeles, California, was situated on Calle de Los Negros – Street of the Dark Hued Ones. Much smaller than the vibrant Chinatowns today, the first Chinatown was a short alley 50 feet wide, and one block long between El Pueblo Plaza and Old Arcadia Street. Despite the discrimination, the Chinese immigrants held a dominant economic position in the Los Angeles laundry and produce industries during this period. -
Chinese Massacre
The Chinese Massacre of 1871 was a racially motivated riot when a mob of over 500 white men entered Los Angeles’ Chinatown to attack, loot, and murder Chinese residents of the city. The riots were allegedly triggered by the killing of Robert Thompson, a rancher who was caught in the cross-fire during a gun battle between two Chinese factions. Scholars have attributed the riots to the growing movement of anti-Chinese in California, in addition to economic causes. -
Page Act
The first federal immigration law, which restricted immigrations, who were considered “undesirable” from entering the United States. Some examples of those who were considered undesirable were Asian men who were contract laborers, Asian women who were prostitutes, and Asians who were convicts in their own country. -
The Queue Ordinance (Pigtail Ordinance)
The Queue Ordinance, or the Pigtail Ordinance, was a law established to force prisoners in San Francisco, California, to have their hair cut within an inch of the scalp. While the law did not discriminate between races, it affected the Han Chinese prisoners in particular, as it meant that they would have to cut their queue, a waist-long braided pigtail and symbol of national identity. -
Chinese are ruled ineligible for naturalized citizenship.
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Chinese Exclusion Act is passed
The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law by President Chester A. Author. The Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited the immigration of new Chinese laborers for 10 years – groups that were exempt from the Exclusion Act were merchants, children, wives, students, teachers and labors already present before the passage of the act. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law in U.S. immigration history to define immigration as a criminal offense. -
The Geary Act
he Geary Act was written by California Congressman Thomas J. Geary, and it extended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The Act required all Chinese residents of the U.S. to carry a resident permit (America’s first internal passbook). Those who failed to carry the permit at all times were punished by deportation or a year at hard labor. In addition, Chinese were not allowed to bear witness in court, and could not receive bail in habeas corpus proceedings. -
U.S. annexes Hawaii and the Philippines
Japanese, Filipino, and Chinese form majority in Hawaii. In Hawaiʻi, then an independent country, sugar plantations hire large numbers of Japanese, Chinese and Filipinos; they form a majority of the population by 1898.Most residents are Asian and they all receive full U.S. citizenship. -
First wave of Indians arrive in U.S.
The first wave of Asian Indian Immigration began in 1905 – 1924, and the majority of the 65,000 who arrived were from the North in Punjab. Overwhelmingly of these immigrants tended to be farm laborers, and had no formal education (less than 3.7 % were educated). Asian Indian communities were bachelor societies, in that there was a large gender imbalance of men to women, in fact, the ratio was 75 men to 1 woman. -
Second Wave of Filipino Immigrants in the U.S.
During 1905 to 1935, roughly 1000,000 Filipinos immigrated to the United states and Islands. The major push factor was war, mainly the Spanish American War of 1898, and the Philippine American War. California was the state with the largest numbers of Filipinos, that represented 45,000 Filipinos on the mainland. Roughly 80% of the Filipino immigrants were under the age of 30, and 96% of the 100,000 were male and only 4% were female. -
San Francisco School Board Incident
The San Fransisco School Board announces that they were going to make a separate school for just the Japanese, Chinese and Korean children. Up to this point, Chinese and Korean school children have always been segregated, but this announcement causes instant protest in the community. The announcement was later dropped by the school board by request of Theodore Roosevelt and Japanese government. -
Gentlemen's Agreement
An informal agreement between the US and the Emperor of Japan to not place restrictions on Japanese immigration, in return , Japan would restriction emigration out of the country to the US. While Congress never officially approved the agreement, the purpose was to reduce Japanese and US tensions in the Pacific after its defeat to the Soviet Union and the US, causing Japan to desire equal treatment. -
Angel Island in San Francisco Bay opens
as the major station for as many as 175,000 Chinese and 60,000 Japanese immigrants between 1910 and 1940. -
California Alien Land Law
Prohibited “aliens ineligible for citizenship” from owning land or property, but permitted 3 yr leases. It affected the Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Korean immigrant farmers in CA. Many Japanese immigrants placed the title to the land to their US born children,. In 1920, the law was amended and made more restrictive. The amendments were aimed at Japanese and Chinese immigrants in CA and prohibited Asian farmers from owning, buying, and leasing land. -
United States Immigration Act of 1924 (Oriental Exclusion Act)
banned most immigration from Asia. The quota for most Asian countries is zero. Public opinion in Japan is outraged by the insult. -
Filipinos are ruled ineligible for citizenship
barring immigration. Roldan v. Los Angeles County found that existing California anti-miscegenation laws did not bar Filipino-white marriages, but the state quickly moved to amend the law. -
Tydings-McDuffie Act
An United States federal law that established a 10-year Commonwealth period in the Philippines and independence from the United States. This set the timetable for a sovereign self-government in the Philippines. -
, Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor
FBI arrests pro-Japanese community leaders in Hawaii and U.S. -
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066
uprooting 100,000 people of Japanese birth or descent on the west coast to be sent to Internment camps; similar actions take place in Canada. -
Period: to
WWII All-Volunteer Asian Americans became highest decorated military unit in US history
1943-Japanese soldiers from Hawaiʻi join the U.S. Army 100th Battalion arrive in Europe
1944-U.S. Army 100th Battalion merges with the all-volunteer Asian Americans of Japanese descent 442nd Regimental Combat Team
1945-442nd Regimental Combat team awarded 18,143 decorations including 9,486 Purple Heart decorations becoming the highest decorated military unit in United States history -
Magnunson Act
Repealed the exclusion of Chinese immigration, however there was a quota of 100 Chinese immigrants selected by U.S. government who were allowed to enter the United States annually. -
the Luce–Celler Act of 1946 grants naturalization opportunities to Filipino Americans and Indian Americans
which included present-day Pakistanis and Bangladeshis) and re-established immigration from the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines. -
The McCarran-Walter Act
The McCarran-Walter Act, also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act, removed total ban of Chinese immigrants but still upheld national origins quotas. The act illustrates a mixed bag in terms of reforms of Asian Americans. The first provision establishes naturalization rights and allows Asian immigrants to naturalize to U.S. citizenship. As a result of this provision, a anomalous status of “aliens ineligible to citizenship” is knocked off the U.S. immigration law. -
Immigration Act
This act eliminates "national origin" quotas. -
Model Minority Term Coined Towards Asian Americans
Term “model minority” first coined by sociologist WIlliam Petersen in an article he wrote for The New York Times Magazine, “Success story: Japanese American style,” that highlighted that the educational and financial success of Japanese Americans, relative to other immigrant groups, meant that they were able to overcome discrimination as a whole. -
First Asian American Hollywood Legend
Bruce Lee became the first Asian American Hollywood action superstar and legend when Enter the Dragon premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. -
Congress creates Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to investigate internment of Japanese Americans;
in 1983 it reports Japanese American internment was not a national security necessity -
President Ronald Reagan signs Civil Liberties Act of 1988 apologizing for Japanese American internment
provide reparations of $20,000 to each victim -
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
President George H. W. Bush signs a congressional bill that designates May to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) in commemoration to the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843 and mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. To the present day, May is celebrated with a yearly theme, cultural celebrations, festivals, discussions, and activities. -
The Patriot Act
U.S. Patriot Act is considered by Congess to restrict the flow of immigrants and potential terrorists into the U.S. This Act has subsequently left to unfair treatment and detainment of South Asian persons. -
Filipino War Veterans Compensated
President Barack Obama signs a stimulus bill that compensates the Filipino war veterans that served in the United States military in World War II. The bill authorizes a $198 million payout. Each Filipino veteran who became a U.S. citizen is eligible for $15,000; each noncitizen, $9,000. -
, Immigration from Asia surpassed immigration from Latin America.
Many of these immigrants are recruited by American companies from college campuses in India, China, and South Korea. -
Far East Movement is the first Asian American band to top the Billboard 100, with its song "Like a G6".
The song was number one on two separate weeks in November 2010.
