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The '''Chinese Exclusion Act''' was a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1882 in response to [[nativist]] hatred of Chinese immigrants by [[labor union]]s. (see: [[Labor unions and racism]]) It prevented the large scale immigration of Chinese workers into the U.S. although tens of thousands came in illegally. Restriction was repealed in 1943 and amnesty was provided for the thoussands of illegal Chinese immigrants  in the 1950s.

The '''Chinese Exclusion Act''' was a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1882 in response to [[nativist]] hatred of Chinese immigrants by [[labor union]]s.<ref>Moreno, Paul D., (2010). [https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/2010/1/cj30n1-4.pdf Cato Journal, Vol 30, No. 1: Unions and Discrimination], p. 72. ''Cato Institute''. Retrieved May 22, 2023.</ref> (see: [[Labor unions and racism]]) It prevented the large scale immigration of Chinese workers into the U.S. although tens of thousands came in illegally. Restriction was repealed in 1943 and amnesty was provided for the thoussands of illegal Chinese immigrants  in the 1950s.

==Immigration==

==Immigration==

Fewer than 50 Chinese immigrated to the U.S. before 1850. With the discovery of gold in 1849 tens of thousands of people raced to California. The Chinese first came as miners, then as railroad workers constructing the transcontinental line, which was finished in 1869. Before restrictions began in 1883, 290,000 Chinese—almost all men—entered the U.S., usually through San Francisco. The goal was to acquire money and return home, and 147,000 left before 1883. The exclusion only applied to unskilled workers. Merchants, students and "paper sons" continued to arrive officially, and totaled 57,000 from 1884 to 1916. Anothr 17,000 or so were smuggled in.<ref>See Sidney Lewis Gulick, ''American democracy and Asiatic citizenship'' (1918) [http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/4273916?n=153&s=4 p. 153 online]</ref>  

Fewer than 50 Chinese immigrated to the U.S. before 1850. With the discovery of gold in 1849 tens of thousands of people raced to California. The Chinese first came as miners, then as railroad workers constructing the transcontinental line, which was finished in 1869. Before restrictions began in 1883, 290,000 Chinese—almost all men—entered the U.S., usually through San Francisco. The goal was to acquire money and return home, and 147,000 left before 1883. The exclusion only applied to unskilled workers. Merchants, students and "paper sons" continued to arrive officially, and totaled 57,000 from 1884 to 1916. Anothr 17,000 or so were smuggled in.<ref>See Sidney Lewis Gulick, ''American democracy and Asiatic citizenship'' (1918) [http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/4273916?n=153&s=4 p. 153 online]</ref>