The Chinese in America

American immigration has not always been viewed as a positive occurrence, and discrimination has often been directed at those seeking to establish themselves in a new country. This is perhaps most evident in the specific rules and restrictions placed on immigrants from China in the 19th and 20th centuries. This racist address accuses Chinese immigrants of being a threat to America due to their willingness to work for low wages, perceived resistance to assimilation, and questionable morality. These sentiments were common among Americans of European descent in the late 19th century and were codified in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which instituted a legal block on immigration from China that would last until its repeal in 1943.

C. (Osgood Church) Wheeler (1816-1891).
The Chinese in America. Oakland: Times Publishing Company, 1880.

Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/00012004320

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