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Laws and Policies Affecting
Asian-Pacific Americans
| 1820-1882 | FREE IMMIGRATION |
| 1882-1903 | DISCRIMINATORY RESTRICTIONS ON IMMIGRATION |
| 1904-1942 | ABSOLUTE EXCLUSION |
| 1943- | GRADUAL LIBERALIZATION |
| 1844 | Treaty of Kanagawa or Peace, Amnesty and Commerce-first Sino-American treaty; established formal relations with China; gave the United States unilateral rights |
| 1852 | 195 Chinese Contract Laborers land in Hawaii |
| 1854 | People v. Hall rules that Chinese cannot give testimony in court |
| 1858 | Yedo Treaty-Treaty of Commerce and Navigation
Treaty of Tientsin-Chinese government agreed to prohibit permanent emigration; reversed in 1959 |
| 1862 | An Act to Protect Free White Labor Against Competition with Chiese Coolie Labor and to Discourage the Immigration of the Chinese into the State of California, April 26, 1862 |
| 1868 | Burlingame-Seward Treaty-United States and China agreed to trade, travel, and residence rights for each other's citizens; still prohibited naturalization; additional articles to Sino-American treaty of 1858 |
| 1870 | California passes a law against the importation of Chinese, Japanese, and "Mongolian" women for the purpose of prostitution |
| 1875 | U.S. Congress passed first law (The Page Law) excluding certain categories of aliens (e.g., convicts and prostitutes); declared all earlier state laws regarding immigration unconstitutional |
| 1878 | In re Ah Yup rules Chinese ineligible for naturalized citizenship |
| 1880 | Sino-American treaty revised-Chinese government limited immigration of laborers in exchange for U.S. protection of those here [Back] |
ON IMMIGRATION, 1882-1903
| 1882 | Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited immigration of Chinese contract laborers for ten years; subsequently renewed; prohibited naturalization |
| 1884 | Increased restrictions on Chinese here and those seeking reentry -wives barred; anti miscegenation laws |
| 1885 | Congress banned contract labor |
| 1886 | Supreme Court ruled in Yick Wo v. Hopkins that San Francisco city ordinance prohibiting Chinese from laundry business was illegal |
| 1887 | Rock
Springs Massacre (1887)President Grover Cleveland asked congress to allocate $150,000 to indemnify the Chinese. Congress complied, but declared that its action should not be construed as a precedent for future compensation. |
| 1888 | Scott Act prohibited immigration of virtually all Chinese, including those who had gone back to China to visit |
| 1889 | Chinese exclusion case (Chae Chan Ping v. United States) - Supreme Court ruled that an entire race that the government deemed difficult to assimilate might be barred from entry regardless of prior treaty |
| 1892 | Geary Act extended exclusion of Chinese laborers another ten years and stripped most legal rights from Chinese immigrants; also required certificates of residence for Chinese in the United States |
| 1893 | Fong Yue Ting v. United States - Supreme Court declared Congress had the right to legislate expulsion through executive orders; Chinese community had raised money to bring this before the Court to test the Geary Act. |
| Congress amendedthe Geary Act to make it more difficult for Chinese businessmen to enter this country | |
| 1894 | Immigration officers authorized to ban the entry of certain aliens, including Chinese |
| Gresham-Yang Treaty-China accepted total prohibition of immigration to the United States in return for readmission of those back in China on a visit; did away win Scott Act of 1888 | |
| 1898 | Congress excluded Chinese laborers from Hawaii; excluded Chinese in Hawaii from coming to the United States |
| United States v. Wong Kim Art - Supreme Court rules person born in the United States of Chinese parents is of American nationality by birth | |
| 1889 | Open door declared-United States advocated equal treatment within territories and sphere of influence claimed by other powers in china |
| 1900 | Organic Act provided government for territory of Hawaii; Chinese
required to apply for certificate of residence
United States v. Mrs. Cue Lim -Supreme Court ruled wives and children of treaty merchants were entitled to come to the United States [Back] |
| 1902 | Chinese exclusion extended for another 10 years |
| 1904 | All Chinese excluded from the United States, Washington, D.C., and all U.S. territories |
| 1910 | Angel Island open ; it served as a prison for hundreds of Chinese immigrants. |
| 1922 | Cable Act revoked American citizenship of any woman citizen marrying an alien ineligible for citizenship |
| 1923 | Chinese student immigration ended because of strict requirements for having the funds necessary to return to China |
| 1924 | Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act) restricted all Asians from coming into the United States |
| 1925 | Chang Chan et al. v. John D. Nagle - Supreme Court ruled Chinese wives of American citizens not entitled to enter the United States |
| 1925 | Cheung Sumchee v. Nagle -Supreme Court ruled 1924 Immigration Act did not apply to treaty merchants' wives or children |
| 1927 | Weedin v. Chin Bow -Supreme Court ruled persons born to American parents(s) who never resided in the United States are not of American nationality, thus not eligible for entry |
| 1928 | Lam Mow v. Nagle -Supreme Court ruled child born of Chinese parents on American vessels on high seas was not born in the United States, therefore not a citizen |
| 1931 | Cable Act amended -women who were United States citizens could retain citizenship after marriage to aliens ineligible for citizenship [Back] |
| 1943 | Magnuson
Act repealed the exclusion of Chinese immigration; token 100
Chinese immigrants allowed to enter the United States annually,
selected by U.S. government
Treaty abolished all unilateral rights of the United States in dealings with China |
| 1945 | War Brides Act-Admission to the United States for spouses and children of U.S. armed forces members, included 722 Chinese |
| 1946 | Wives and children of Chinese American citizens allowed to apply as nonquota immigrants |
| 1948 | Displaced person Act-15,000 Chinese enabled to change their status
in the United States; expired in 1954
Supreme Court declared California ban on interracial marriage unconstitutional |
| 1950 | Second Displaced Persons Act further helped Chinese in the United States to change their status (due to communist takeover in China) |
| 1951 | Remittances to mainland China prohibited when People's Republic entered Korean War |
| 1952 | Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) removed total ban of Chinese immigrants but upheld national origins quotas |
| 1953 | Refugee Relief Act-2000 places allotted to Chinese out of total 205, 000 people to be admitted; law expired in 1956 |
| 1957 | Refugee Escapee Act extended unused allotments of 1953 act, benefiting over 2000 Chinese |
| 1962 -1965 |
Attorney General allowed 15,000 Chinese to enter as parolees due to refugee situation in Hong Kong |
| 1965 | Immigration and Naturalization Act eliminated national origins
quotas; 20,000 people per country allowed in; priority to those
with skills and family in United States
National Defense Education Act made grant money available for Chinese studies |
| 1968 | Bilingual Education Act |
| 1972 | President Richard M. Nixon traveled to China |
| 1974 | Supreme Court decided in Lau v. Nichols that San Francisco unified school district was denying non-English-speaking Chinese Americans a meaningful education; established legal basis for bilingual education |
| 1980 | US Refugee Act |
| 1981 | Taiwan and Mainland China each allowed 20,000 immigrants |
| 1986 | Immigration Reform and Control Acts-Amnesty declared for certain illegal aliens |
| 1990 | Immigration Act increased number of immigrants admitted because of skill level [Back] |
Policies Affecting Southeast Asian Americans
| 1921 | Immigration Act (Johnson Act) |
| 1924 | Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed) |
| 1952 | Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) upheld national origins quotas |
| 1965 | Immigration and Naturalization Act ended national origin as basis for admission to United States |
| 1973 | Vietnam peace accord signed; last U.S. troops withdrawn from Vietnam |
| 1975 | Parole authorized for Vietnamese dependents of U.S. citizens
Operation Frequent Wind-U.S. government evacuated U.S. and Vietnamese people from Saigon Refugee centers opened in United States in various forts during April and May President Gerald Ford established interagency Task Force (IATF) in April to coordinate federal activity concerned with evacuation and resettlement of Vietnamese refugees Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act provided funds for resettlement programs All refugee centers closed and IATF terminated in December; Department of Health, Education, Welfare Refugee Task Force assumed responsibility for refugee resettlement Parole granted for Cambodians in third countries |
| 1976 | Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Act extended educational assistance for elementary and secondary education of refugee children |
| 1977 | Public Law 956-135-Indochinese refugee allowed to become permanent
residents of United States (could apply for citizenship five
years after arrival)
Additional refugees granted parole by attorney general Federal government supplemented state educational agency budgets for reimbursement of local schools with refugee children Congress passed bill to phase down refugee assistance over next four years, also provided adjustment of status from parole to permanent resident alien |
| 1980 | Refugee Act |
| 1989 | Amerasian Homecoming Act |
| 1990 | Immigration Act
Congress passed legislation exempting Vietnamese in United States who are not U.S. citizens from a law banning anyone but a citizen from owning and piloting commercial fishing boats off the California coast [Back] |
Policies Affecting Japanese Americans
| 1868-1900 | CONTRACT LABOR PERIOD |
| 1901-1940 | INCREASING IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION |
| 1941-1951 | WORLD WAR II AND INTERMENT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS |
| 1952 - 1990 | POST - WORLD WAR II AND THE MYTH OF THE MODEL MINORITY |
| 1876 | Reciprocity treaty between Kingdom of Hawaii and United States |
| 1898 | Newlands Resolutions-Hawaii became U.S. territory
Census Bureau policy changed |
| 1900 | The organic Act of the territory of Hawaii [Back] |
| 1907 | Proclamation of president Theodore Roosevelt-Japanese and Koreans issued passports for Mexico, Canada, or Hawaii were to be denied admission to continental United States |
| 1908 | Gentleman's Agreement |
| 1921 | Immigration Act (Johnson Act) |
| 1923 | U.S. Supreme Court upheld constitutionality of state Alien land Acts |
| 1924 | Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act) |
| 1934 | Jones-Costigan Act [Back] |
INTERMENT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS
| 1941 | Declaration of war on Japan
Martial law declared in Hawaii |
| 1942 | Executive Order No 9066-Internment authorized
War Relocation Authority (WRA) established |
| 1943 | U.S. War Department called for AJA volunteers |
| 1943 -1944 |
U.S. Supreme Court upheld constitutionality of evacuation program and convictions of Yasui, Hirabayashi, and Korematsu, for violating curfew and relocation orders |
| 1944 | Military draft reinstated for AJAs
Renunciation Act passed by Congress Servicemen's Readjustment Act (the "BI bill of rights") First internment camp closed by WRA U.S. government rescinded mass exclusion order |
| 1945 | U.S. military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki |
| 1946 | Last internee left last internment camp |
| 1947 | Citizenship restored to some Japanese Americans who had renounced it |
| 1948 | Evacuation Claims Act [Back] |
| 1952 | Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) |
| 1959 | Hawaii became fiftieth state |
| 1965 | Immigration and Naturalization Act |
| 1980 | Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) established |
| 1983 | Korematsu's wartime conviction vacated |
| 1984 | Yasui's wartime conviction vacated |
| 1987 | U.S. Supreme Court vacated appeals court decision on Hohri et
al. class action suit; remanded to federal circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals vacated Hirabayashi's wartime conviction |
| 1988 | Civil Liberties Act (usually referred to as the Reparations
Act)
U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Hohri et al. |
| 1990 | Start of reparation payments
Immigration Act [Back] |
| 1898 | Treaty of Paris |
| 1899 | Filipino-American War |
| 1901 | Philippine Organic Act passed by Congress set policy for the Taft era (1901-1913) |
| 1903 | Pensionado program authorized |
| 1909 | Philippine Tariff Act |
| 1913 | Underwood Simmons Act-free trade between United States and Philippines; replaced Tariff Act |
| 1932 | Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act excluded Filipino immigration to united States because they were ruled ineligible for citizenship |
| 1934 | Tydings-McDuffie Independence Act |
| 1940 | Nationality Act made it possible for Filipino immigrants to become naturalized citizens |
| 1946 | Philippines granted independence |
| 1952 | Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) |
| 1965 | Immigration and Naturalization Act-removal of national origins quotas facilitated Filipino immigration |
| 1986 | Immigration Reform and Control Act - Amnesty program |
| 1990 | Immigration Act |
| 1906 | Asian Indians denied U.S. citizenship |
| 1917 | Asiantic Barred Zone Act passed in Congress
excluded immigration from South or Southeast Asia, including India |
| 1921 | Immigration Act (Johnson Act) |
| 1923 | Supreme Court decision, United States v. Bhagat Singh, third decision |
| 1924 | Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act) excluded immigration of all Asian laborers, including Asian Indians |
| 1946 | Asian Indians granted token immigration quota of 100 |
| 1952 | Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) upheld national origins quotas |
| 1965 | Immigration and Naturalization Act eliminated national origins quotas |
| 1990 | Immigration Act continued priority for skilled workers and family reunification |
| 1882 | Treaty of Chemulpo (Treaty of Amity and Commerce) started diplomatic relations between United States and Korea, which allowed Korean immigration to United States |
| 1910 -1924 |
1100 picture brides admitted, mostly in Hawaii |
| 1921 | Immigration Act (Johnson Act) |
| 1924 | Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act) |
| 1943 | Koreans in the United States exempted from enemy alien status |
| 1945 | United States liberated Korea from Japanese rule |
| 1950 -1953 |
Korean War |
| 1951 -1964 |
Admission of war brides and young children exempt from quotas |
| 1952 | Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act0 |
| 1965 | Immigration and Naturalization Act |
| 1980 | Refugee Act |
| 1986 | Immigration Reform and Control Act |
| 1990 | Immigration Act |