-
First to Arrive
Three Chinese seamen touch land in the continental United States aboard the ship Pallas in Baltimore, Maryland. -
First U.S. Census
The first U.S. Census notation of Chinese in America records only three Chinese living in the United States. -
One More Noted
Only one more Chinese is recorded since 1830. -
Attraction to Gold
Gold is found at Sutter's Mill, California attractring Chinese immigrants -
Chinese Population Reaches 4,000
As result of the Gold Rush, the Chinese population amounts to approximately four thousand individuals in only two years. At this time, the U.S. population was a total of 23.2 million. -
Illegal for Chinese to Immigrate to California
A decade after the gold rush, California prohibits Chinese and Mongolians immigration. -
Chinese Population Continues to Increase
Chinese American population represents 34,933. At the time the total U.S. population was 31.4 million. -
Chinese "Coolies" Prohibited
The United States prohibits Chinese "coolies" on American vessels. -
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad Company recruits thousands of Chinese men to work on the first transcontinental railroad. -
Burlingame-Seward Treaty
The United States and China ratify the Burlingame-Seward Treaty, which seals the approval of mutual emigration between the two countries. -
Naturalization Act
Congress passes the Naturalization Act, banning Chinese from obtaining U.S. citizenship. The Act also prevented immigration of Chinese women who have marital partners in the United States. -
Limiting Chinese Immigration
The United States and China sign a treaty that allows the United States to limit Chinese immigration. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
President Chester Arthur signed the Federal law, Chinese Exclusion Act, which provided an absolute 10-year suspension on Chinese labor immigration. For the first time, Federal law proscribed entry of an ethnic working group on the premise that it endangered the good order of certain localities. -
Another ten years of exclusion
The Geary Act prolongs the Chinese Exclusion Act for another 10 years and requires all Chinese residents to carry permits. -
Chinese American Born
The United States admitted Wong Kim Ark-a Chinese born on U.S. soil. He had been denied admittance back into the United States as result of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This case ruled that Chinese born on America cannot be deprived of their U.S. citizenship. -
U.S.-Mexico Border
The Asian Exclusion Act, which is part of the Immigration Act of 1924, excludes all Asian laborer immigrants from entering into the United States. The U.S. Border Patrol is created, as an agency under the Department of Labor, to regulate Chinese immigration to the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border. -
Angel Island Closed
The Detention center in Angel Island is closed by the United States Government. -
War Brides Act
As result of the 1945 War Brides Act, 6,000 Chinese women enter into the United States as wives of Chinese American. Over 20% of Chinese men had been drafted to service in the WWII. -
Chinese Population
In the middle of the 20th century the Chinese population exceeded 105,000 out of a total U.S. population of 151 million.
