Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the signature piece of a body of legislation affecting the immigration of Asians to America. Signed into law by President Chester Arthur, the act established a 10-year moratorium on immigration from China of skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese in the mining industry. It also provided that Chinese who were already in the country could not leave and re-enter without certification. The act raised a bar to citizenship by relieving state and federal courts of the power to grant citizenship to ...