Chinese Exclusion Act enacted

Background. The first significant wave of 19th-century Chinese immigration to America began with the California gold rush of 1848–1855 and continued with labor projects like the transcontinental railroad. The Xianfeng Emperor supported exclusion due to concerns about labor loss for China. The Angell Treaty of 1880 revised the Burlingame Treaty, allowing the US to suspend Chinese immigration, setting the stage for the 1882 Act.

Enactment. President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act into law on May 6, 1882. Although he initially objected to the denial of entry for Chinese laborers, he acceded to a compromise measure. The Act defined excludables as skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining, significantly restricting entry.

Impact. The Act was the first major US law implemented to prevent all members of a specific national group from immigrating, shaping twentieth-century immigration policy. It froze the Chinese community in place in 1882. The law remained in force until the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943, which allowed 105 Chinese immigrants to enter annually.