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Chinese Exclusion Act

The Chinese Exclusion Act, signed into law on May 6, 1882, by President Chester A. Arthur, effectively terminated Chinese immigration for ten years and prohibited Chinese from becoming US citizens. All Chinese persons- except travelers, merchants, teachers, students, and those born in the United States-were barred from entering the United States and Chinese residents, regardless of how long they legally worked in the United States, were ineligible to become naturalized citizens. The law was repealed by the Magnuson Act in 1943 during World War II. However, until the Immigration Act of October 1965 numerous laws continued to have a restrictive impact on Chinese immigration.

Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

Passed by Congress in 1882 and signed by President Chester A. Arthur, this act suspended all immigration by Chinese workers. Even those already within the U.S. were barred from receiving U.S. citizenship and had to register with U.S. authorities. The Chinese Exclusion Act and its successors were abolished in 1943 by President Franklin Roosevelt, apparently as a means of currying favor with the Chinese as allies in World War II.

Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.

August 19, 2010, 5:27 pm