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Three Chinese Seamen
Chinese immigration to the US began in the late 1700's with the rumored promise of land, freedom, and fortune among the new colonies. (It is old tale that three Chinese seamen arrived in Boston in 1785 and told their loved ones of the promising new world). -
Naturalization Act of 1790
The Naturalization Act of 1790 restricted citizenship to free white persons. The nation was divided between the White races and the minorities. -
1819 Steerage Act
The 15th congress released the Steerage Act in an attempt to establish standards for ships that were carrying passengers, this made it difficult for the Chinese to gain access into the U.S. -
Chinese Living in the U.S.
The U.S. Census released in 1830 marked the first notation of Chinese living in the United States. There were three Chinese males. -
People V. Hall
This court case in California concluded that a Chinese man's testimony was inadmissable in court. The ruling stated that the Chinese were, "a race of people whom nature has marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual development beyond a certain point..." -
California Rejects the Chinese
In 1858, California passed "An Act to prevent the Further Immigration of Chinese or Mongolians" This made it practically impossible for the Chinese to benefit from the promise of Freedom and Fortune that so many people found in the U.S. -
Naturalization in Congress
Congress approved the Naturalization Act and made it impossible for Chinese persons to gain citizenship. It also put major restrictions on Chinese women (some of whom were married to American men). -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act revoked the ability for Chinese people to migrate to the U.S. It was originally designated to restrict for 10 years, people who were "grandfathered in" were documented but were treated harshly. -
Yick Wo v. Hopkins
This Supreme Court Case ruled in the favor of Yick Wo, in saying that laws enforced based on racial discrimination were in violation of the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th ammendment. This encouraged the Chinese to take a stand for their own rights, and proved that the government was not completely against them -
Chae Chan Pang v United States
The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Lower Court saying that the states had the right to revoke and certificates upon new laws or acts passed. The court expressed the right to exclude foreigners at any time. -
The Geary Act
Extended the Chinese Exclusion Act for an additional 10 years and required all chinese to carry identification. -
The Scott Act
Added another extension to the Chinese Exclusion Act with an indefinite epiration date. This made a large number of Chinese believe that they would never reach the U.S. -
The Great San Francisco Earthquake
During the Great San Francisco Earthquake, the immigration records were lost. This gave the Chinese population opportunity to claim citizenship for themselves and family members even if it was not true. -
Executive Order 9066
This Act was issued directly toward Japanese immigrants and citizenships; However it largely affected the Chinese population due to racial discrimination and popular indifference. This order used government power to declare that "all people of Japanese ancestry were excluded from the entire Pacific coast, including all of California and much of Oregon, Washington and Arizona, except for those in internment camps" -
The Magnuson Act
This act is better known and the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act. Chinese persons were granted citizenship and immigration was permitted if it was within the designated quota. -
Lau V. Nichols
This Supreme Court Case ruled that schools must provide a bilingual program for students who do not speak English within the public school system. More than 1,800 Chinese students in the San Francisco school district were granted a better chance at receiving a worthwhile public education. -
The Tiananmen Square Protests
During the Tiananmen Square Protests in Beijing, President George H.W. Bush issued an executive order that allowed Chinese students and their families to permanentyl live in the United States. -
Rising Populations
The Chinese American Population marked a milestone for immigrants when it reached 2,879,636 out of a total U.S. population of 281.4 million. -
The Secure Fencing Act
The Secure Fence Act was a part of President George W. Bush’s effort on immigration reform which was intended to allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to gain operational control over the entire United States-Mexico border. This affected Chinese Immigrants who searched for access through the borders along Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
