In this module, we will examine the origins of Chinese exclusion in the late nineteenth century and then focus on its social and cultural effects into the twentieth century.

Anti-Chinese racism led to local ordinances that restricted Chinese peoples’ living conditions and ability to work. At the turn of the twentieth century, the white working-class, wanting to retain access to wealth, security, and employment for themselves, influenced national politics to further exclude Chinese people and restrict Chinese immigration.

This module focuses on the Chinese exclusion era, spanning from 1882 to 1943. This era defined and reinforced stereotypes of Chinese people as permanent foreigners who endangered the nation. The Chinese exclusion era had an immense impact on society and culture in the United States.