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Limiting Immigration. Chinese Exclusion Act & White Australia Policy . American Reform:. The Chinese Exclusion Acts. Origins of Anti-Chinese Sentiment. 1 st significant wave of Chinese immigration occurred during the California Gold Rush of 1849.
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Limiting Immigration Chinese Exclusion Act & White Australia Policy
American Reform: The Chinese Exclusion Acts.
Origins of Anti-Chinese Sentiment • 1st significant wave of Chinese immigration occurred during the California Gold Rush of 1849. • This led to the use of Chinese laborers for various labor projects. (Ex: construction of Transcontinental Railroad) • As competition increased over decreasing amounts of gold, the anti-Chinese mentality continued to grow. • Most Chinese were driven from the mines & settled in Chinese communities in the cities (Ex: San Francisco). • Here, the Chinese obtained low-wage jobs as unskilled laborers doing restaurant & laundry work.
Chinese Exclusion Act • Beginning in 1882, the law was passed to suspend Chinese immigration. • Originally meant to be temporary (10 yrs), it wasn’t repealed until 1943. • The law banned skilled & unskilled Chinese laborers. • The law prevented Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens. • Many could immigrate, but with permission from China that they were qualified—which was difficult to prove.
British Reform: The White Australia Policy
Origins of Anti-Immigration Sentiment • Discovery of gold in 1851 led to a sudden increase in immigration—particularly among the Chinese. • Roughly 50,000 Chinese came, which led to protests & eventually, rioting among the whites in Australia. • The growth of the sugar industry led to the need of workers able to tolerate the tropical climate needed to work the plantations. • This led to the rise in Pacific Islander migrant workers. • Again, protests & rioting ensued. • Whites argued the new migrants took jobs from white, union workers & worked for sub-standard wages.
The White Australia Policy: • Passed in 1901, the policy limited the amount of various groups of immigrants from entering Australia. • The law required that all immigrants pass a dictation test before admittance. • Often the test was dictated to the immigrants in a European language (though not necessarily in English), which was arbitrarily chosen by the immigration officer. • British migrants were the exclusion to the policy and were granted immediate admittance into Australia.