The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Gr 9 Up—This volume covers the history of Chinese immigration to the United States, concentrating on the events leading up to the passage of 1882's Chinese Exclusion Act. The book focuses heavily on the California Gold Rush and the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, detailing how white workers felt about their Chinese counterparts and how politicians responded to anti-Chinese public sentiment. It then covers further legislation affecting Chinese immigration, Chinese-American civil-rights issues, and the eventual relaxing and repeal of such laws. Short chapters are clearly organized and well sourced. Nearly half the text is back matter, including biographies of key figures, several primary-source documents, and an annotated bibliography. The methodical analysis of the events leading up to the passage of the Exclusion Act helps students discover how the passage of such a law could happen. Coupled with the appended material, this volume makes a comprehensive resource on the early history of Chinese immigration and the systematic harassment these immigrants faced.—Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD