Earlier Laws Limiting Immigration from China

Prior to the passage of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, there were already significant efforts at limiting immigration from China.

·       In 1870, Congress approves the Naturalization Act, barring Chinese from obtaining U.S. citizenship. The Act also prevents immigration of Chinese women who have marital partners in the United States. Chinese and Japanese men must show evidence in support of a woman’s moral character in the case of prospective and actual wives of Chinese and Japanese descent.
The Chinese American population represents 63,199 out of a total U.S. population of 38.5 million. They represent close to half of the male labor force in California.

·       In 1875, Congress passes the Page Law, which bars Chinese, Japanese  and “Mongolian” prostitutes, felons and contract laborer from immigrating to the U.S.

·       In 1878, a federal district court in California rules Chinese ineligible for naturalized citizenship.

In 1880, the United States and China sign a treaty that allows the U.S. to limit Chinese immigration.