During the 1840s and 1850s, many laborers were recruited to build a better America by creating railroads and working the mines. During California gold rush, Asian immigrants seek for a better life by seeking gold. By the 1870s, with the country unable to create a successful economy meant for others to seek to whom to blame for the disaster. This lead the start of antiChinese because current society is having an increase of immigrants especially Asian ancestors.
Which led the Chinese Exclusion Act to be signed by President Arthur and Congress. Became the most impacted law that restricted immigrants to enter America for a certain ethnic working group. The Chinese Exclusion Act was considered as a racism act. The Chinese Exclusion Act states, “in the opinion of the Government of the United States the coming of Chinese laborers to this country endangers the good order of certain localities within the territory …
Therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the expiration of ninety days next after the passage of this act, and until the expiration of ten years next after the passage of this act, the coming of Chinese laborers to the United States be, and the same is hereby, suspended; and during such suspension it shall not be lawful for any Chinese laborer to come, or, having so come after the expiration of said ninety days, to remain within the United States. “(The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882).
This led much concern to current Asian immigrants because there were new requirements under the Act. The Act would have required those who left the States will need to obtain a re-entry certification. The Federal and State courts were unable to grant citizenship to current Chinese residence because Congress refused to give them the authority to do so. But they still had the authority to deport Chinese from the States. The Chinese Exclusion Act was only issued for ten years, but through the Geary Act, was able to be extended for ten more years by Congress.
The extension also included a requirement for every Chinese resident to register and seek a certificate of residency to avoid deportation. During 1907 to 1908, the U. S. and Japan were building up tension over the issue of immigrants in the United States. President Roosevelt took action to resolve the situation, he issued The Gentlemen’s Agreement. Japan came to a conclusion and agreed to deny laborers to enter the U. S. in 1900, but did not stop the migration to boarding countries of United States.
The laborers were able to receive a passport to Mexico, Canada, or Hawaii to seek work but insisted to cross the borders of the United States. While of many of my fellow citizens took matters to their hands to accuse Japanese immigrants of wrong doing. Which caused the San Francisco Chronicle to launch a series of accusation towards Japanese immigrants of purposely undermining the school system, and creating poverty and crime in California. In 1905, The Japanese and Korean Exclusion League was created because of the series of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Organization main purpose was to stop the immigration of Japanese to U. S. and throw into disorder of the lives of Japanese which are already residing in America. While mostly everyone was against the migration of Asians, the school board of San Francisco made matters worst because the they made all Asian children to be placed in a school that separates them from non-Asian students. Many people believe that the San Francisco boarding school wanted to separate Asian students because of the earthquake that accrued in 1906. This lead the boarding school to lose many resources and buildings during the earthquake.
Japan would have constructed to put a cap on immigration to America, but was deeply hurt by San Francisco’s discriminatory law aimed specifically towards them. The segregation of Japanese students from other students enraged Japan, and in an attempt to ease this problem, Japan proposed to reduce the total of emigrants. Hopefully the the demand will stop the discriminatory laws towards them, which the proposal of the act was created by Californian nativists who were threaten that Japanese wanted to target their citizenship status as an attempt to minimize their residency.
President Roosevelt wanted to have a good relationship with Japan because during this time Japan was seen as a new powerhouse nation because they defeated the Russians in the Sino-Russo Japanese war. Roosevelt feared Japan will expand into America taking over our culture and occupations, known as Yellow Peril. Their President took action by reaching out to the mayor of San Francisco and the school board. He convinced them to remove the segregation order, by swearing that the federal government will determine solve the issue of emigrants.
On February 24, the Gentlemen’s Agreement was design for Japan to reject passports to laborers, proposing to enter the United States. This was a success for current resident Japanese in San Francisco because the school board renounce their original order on March 13, 1907. By 1908, the Gentlemen’s Agreement was fully effective. The immigration officials scheduled to built a new facility in San Francisco called Angel Island. The new facility took over the process of arriving emigrants. The station was effectively built prevent Chinese immigrants from communicating with others.
This marked the foundation for many immigrants that enter the United States. They arrived and soon after, two groups were divided between men and women/ children. They proceeded towards medical, there they were acquired to take an examination to make sure no disease came with them. Failing to pass the examination will become deported. After the test they were assigned a place and would wait for their interrogators, the Board of Special Inquiry. It would have seemed that Asian immigrants will not seemed to get a break from all this discrimination until the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906.