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Chinese Exclusion Act

Definition

The Chinese Exclusion Act was a law passed in 1882 by the U.S. Congress that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States for a period of ten years. This marked the first time in American history that a specific ethnic group was singled out and banned from entering the country.

Analogy

Imagine you're hosting a party, but you decide to exclude one particular friend from attending just because they're different. The Chinese Exclusion Act was like that - it excluded Chinese immigrants from coming to America simply because they were Chinese.

Related terms

Nativism: Nativism refers to a policy or belief that favors native-born individuals over immigrants. It often leads to discriminatory practices against immigrants.

Gentlemen's Agreement: The Gentlemen's Agreement was an informal agreement between the United States and Japan in 1907, which restricted Japanese immigration to the U.S., similar to the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Immigration Restriction League: The Immigration Restriction League was an organization founded in 1894 with the goal of reducing immigration into the United States, particularly from Southern and Eastern Europe. They influenced lawmakers' decisions on restrictive immigration laws.