The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 restricted the wave of Chinese immigration that had begun earlier in the century and was the first U.S. law to restrict immigration based on national origin. In this lesson, students will explore the social and economic factors that led to this restriction. Students examine a labor union flyer, newspaper article, congressional testimony, and a Chinese American merchant's letter.
[All files updated 7/30/18.]
Image: A Chinese railroad worker in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 1865. From the Library of Congress.
