Primary Source Spotlight: Chinese Exclusion Act | Citizen U Primary Source Nexus

From the Library of Congress:

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was signed into law on May 6, 1882. Officially titled “An act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese,” the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years. It was extended in 1892 for another ten years by the Geary Act and then made permanent in 1902. In 1943, at a time when the United States and China were allies during World War II, the ban on Chinese immigration and naturalization was finally repealed.

Burlingame Treaty 1868

Burlingame Treaty historical newspaper coverage

Chinese Exclusion Act: Primary Documents in American History

Select Chinese Exclusion Act primary sources from the Library’s digital collections

The Chinese Exclusion Act: timeline & select newspaper articles

More Chinese Exclusion Act historical newspaper coverage

Geary Act historical newspaper coverage

Compilation from the records of the Bureau of immigration of facts concerning the enforcement of the Chinese exclusion laws 1906

Chinese Exclusion Law: 1902 historical newspaper coverage

Chinese Exclusion Law: 1903-43 historical newspaper coverage

Chin Fong v. Backus, 241 U.S. 1 (1916) Supreme Court Decision

Modern-day U.S. legislation referring to the Chinese Exclusion Act