-
Period: to
California Gold Rush
-
Beginning of the California Gold Rush
Allured by the prospect of riches at "Gam San" (Gold Mountain), Chinese immigrants began immigrating to California for work. Due to their distinctive dress and culture, they often were treated very poorly and compensated at lower rates than whites for their work. Discriminatory fines and racist attacks were commonplace -
First Chinese worker comes to Hawaii
-
Foreign Miner's Tax
Targets primarily Chinese. -
Period: to
Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta reclaimed by Chinese workers
Harsh construction of levees, of which they were prompty forced off. -
Period: to
Chinese Workers come to Hawaii for Sugarcane
Nearly 50,000 Chinese come to the U.S. -
Period: to
Chinese Immigrants work on the Railroad
-
Burlingame Treaty Signed
Guarantees right to Chinese immigrantion. -
Chinese in California barred from public testimony
Whites were free to falsely charge Chinese immigrants with crimes they could not disprove. -
Page Act bans "obnoxious" Chinese women
U.S. officials erroneously classified many Chinese women as prostitutes, now restricting their immigration. -
Anti-Chinese Riots in San Francisco
-
Chinese ruled ineligible for naturalization
-
Burlingame Treaty amended to restrict Chinese immigrants
-
Period: to
Chinese Exclusion Acts
Initial 10 year act renewed for another 10 years in 1892 by the Geary Act, and made permanent in 1902. It was the only law in the history of the U.S. to prevent immigration and naturalization. based on race. Coupled with existing miscegnation laws and the prevention of family reunification (most workers left their family in China), this led to the creation of bachelor societies. -
Chinese Consolidated Beneveolent Association (Six Companies) Founded
-
Yick Wo v. Hopkins
Yick Wo, owner of a laundromat sued for the first case where the United States Supreme Court ruled that a law that is race-neutral on its face, but is administered in a prejudicial manner, is an infringement of the Equal Protection Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
Citizenship records burn, giving rise to the paper son phenomenon, as Chinese workers claim citizenship and relatives based off of the destoryed records. Note: this only became necessary due to the Chinese Exclusion Acts -
Period: to
Angel Island Immigration Station
The "Ellis Island of the West," Angel island processed mainly Asian immigrants, often detaining them for weeks at a time due to the Chinese Exclusion Acts. Many Chinese immigrants carved poetry into the wooden walls, which were promptly covered up, but now are restored and available to the public. -
California bans non-citizen aliens from owning land
-
Immigrant act establishes national quotas
Effectively ends Asian Immigrantion -
Communist Revolution in China
Nearly 5,000 Chinese refugees enter the U.S. -
Murder of Vincent Chin
Caused by misplaced anger towards the Japanese auto-industry, Chin was brutually beaten at his bachelor party before his wedding. His killers only received 3 years of probation with no jail time.