135th Anniversary of The Chinese Exclusion Act
May 6, 2017 marked the 135th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act. On May 6, 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur. The law was established to suppress Chinese immigration to the United States and to prohibit Chinese immigrants from becoming legalized citizens of the U.S. "The Chinese exclusion law was the very first time in American history that immigrants were barred because of their race and class. In 1882, when Congress passed the law, there were 39,600 men and women from China who arrived in the U.S. Just three years later, there were only 22...," writes National Public Radio reporter Kat Chow in a May 5, 2017 article. Chinese immigrants were drawn to the west coast after the Gold Ruse of 1849. Chinese immigrants were instrumental in the construction of the Central Pacific railroad system from 1864 to 1869. The Chinese Exclusion Act, the first major law restricting immigration to the U.S., was extended for an