Image of a Chinese boy
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picture of an Irish man
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Picture of globe - clicking produces a Flash animated map showing the pattern of Chinese immigration
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Immigration Chinese
Image of US map - piece 1 Home Immigration Introduction Vocabulary Potluck Interviews Resources Conclusion
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Three Chinese children
Three Chinese children

Chinese Immigration

The Chinese experience in America began with dreams of gold, as legends of instant wealth in California lured hopeful adventurers across the Pacific Ocean. Those dreams soon lost their luster, though; these sojourners found mostly hard times and persecution, and scrambled to survive in a strange country.

Only through decades of struggle, isolation, and slow progress were Chinese Americans able to find a secure place in the life of the nation. Today, though, a new surge of growth and cultural vitality promises to transform the Chinese American community, and to reshape American life for future generations.

Introduction | Searching for the Gold Mountain | Struggling for Work | Intolerance | Legislative Harassment | Exclusion | Building Communities | Taking Care of Our Own | Growth and Inclusion | A New Community
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  last updated 09/01/03 view basic version
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Irish
1790 The federal government requires two years of residency for naturalization
1864 Congress legalizes the importation of contract laborers
1819 Congress establishes reporting on immigration
1885   Congress bans the admission of contract laborers.
1929   Congress makes annual immigration quotas permanent.
1952 Immigration and Nationality Act: individuals of all races eligible for naturalization; reaffirms national origins quota system, limits immigration from Eastern Hemisphere; establishes preferences for skilled workers and relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens; and tightens security and screening standards and procedures
1953 Congress amends 1948 refugee policy to allow for the admission of 200,000 more refugees
1980   The Refugee Act redefines criteria and procedures for admitting refugees
1986   Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) legalizes illegal aliens residing in the US unlawfully since 1982.
1849 The California Gold Rush sparks the first mass immigration from China.
1943   Magnuson Act of 1943 repeals Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, establishes quotas for Chinese immigrants; makes them eligible for US citizenship.
1965   Immigration Act of 1965 establishes quota systems with 20,000 per country limit; gives preference to immediate families of immigrants and to skilled workers.
1876 California Senate committee investigates the “social, moral, and political effect of Chinese immigration.”
1877 Congress investigates the criminal influence of Chinese immigrants.
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 suspends immigration of Chinese laborers under penalty of imprisonment and deportation.
1945   War Bride Act and G.I. Fiancées Act allow immigration of foreign-born wives, fiancé(e)s, husbands, and children of US armed forces personnel.
1948 The United States admits persons fleeing persecution in their native lands; allowing 205,000 refugees to enter within two years
Native American