On May 6, 1882, Congress passed and President Chester A. Arthur signed The Chinese Exclusion Act. It was the first major legislation banning immigration by a specific group of people as well as preventing naturalization and citizenship for Chinese people already in the country. The Act established the immigration ban for 10 years, and it continued in place for a total of 60 years. The “reasoning” behind this legislation focused on economic tensions caused by Chinese laborers even though they made up only .002 percent of the population at the time. It was also a blatantly racist expression of white supremacy that considered Chinese culture “undesirable.” This federally authorized racism led to mistreatment and violence against Chinese people and paved the way for expanded racist immigration policies against a variety of people of Asian descent in the harsh Immigration Act of 1924. The first video posted below is an introduction to a very good PBS documentary about The Chinese Exclusion Act.
The tragic legacy of this anti-Asian racism is still with us today. As media sources have reported since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes including physical violence have increased dramatically. Stereotypes that falsely connected the pandemic to people of Asian descent were promoted by the previous administration and unfortunately believed by many. The second video posted below is a brief overview of this rise of hate crimes.
Whether we reflect on 1882 or 2021, it is important to recognize and resist any expressions of anti-Asian racism. These are offenses against our nation’s principles of freedom and justice for all. Even more importantly for those of us who are followers of Jesus, this kind of racism denies a foundational truth of our faith – that all people of all races and cultures are made in the image of God.