Chinese Exclusion Act: Elevation of Political Morality Begins with a National Apology

On June 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 683 apology bill unanimously, extending a formal apology for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and seeking repentance from Chinese Nationals.

Zhao Maxim, the female Chinese congresswoman who promoted the 683 resolution, revealed that “this motion finally admitted to past injustices and officially apologized for the laws that gave Chinese unfair treatment, and recognized that one of America’s founding principles is that all men are created equal.”*

Looking back at history, when the Californian gold mines were discovered in 1848, a large group of Chinese went to the U.S. in search of the gold rush. Whether it was in the mining, footwear, wheat, fruit, or clothing industries, the Chinese were able to make outstanding contributions. Under every railway sleeper traversing across the American East and West lie the bones of a Chinese laborer that are not worthless, by any means.

Unexpectedly, after the mid-19th century, the U.S. experienced an outbreak of economic crises that led to an increase of the unemployed. Vile politicians manipulated and propagated white populist sentiments, labeling the Chinese as their livelihood snatchers. In a heartbeat, Chinese exclusion sentiment swept across the nation.

Exclusionists made unrelenting nonsensical claims, slandering the Chinese as morally hazardous beings who were reluctant to adopt the American way of life and therefore could not benefit American society in any way. They also made blasphemous remarks that the Chinese were opportunists flooding to the U.S. for gold, a trend that would turn the U.S. into a Chinese province, making the U.S. another case similar to Mongolia.

White mobs committed a number of evils such as looting, arson, lynching and other persecutions of the Chinese on a daily basis. The California government also levied discriminatory poll tax, custom duties and even basket tax, to name a few.

What’s even worse, the immigrant based U.S. brazenly passed the 1882 “An act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese,” signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur. Under the provision of what is more commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese could not become naturalized Americans, Chinese residents of America were forced to carry an identity card with them at all times for the scrutiny of other nations’ immigrants, and a ban was put on Chinese laborers’ entry within a ten year period with an expiration date subject to extension. Between 1882 and 1943, the U.S. devised more than 15 laws to reject the Chinese immigration decree with growing stringency of terms.

In 1892, the U.S. Supreme Court declared, “Chinese not born in the U.S. have never been considered as U.S. citizens and the naturalization law has not given them the right to ever be.”* The door to the U.S. was shut from the Chinese with a heavy thump. The United States, a nation that prided itself in being a racial melting pot, had for the first and only time in history excluded a single nation from sharing the American dream.

Faced with the U.S.’ Chinese exclusion animosity, Northern Ambassador Minister Li Hongzhang claimed in his interview with The New York Times in his visit to the U.S. in 1892: “The Chinese Exclusion Act is the world’s most unfair bill.” He said to the American reporter, “You Americans pride yourselves in democracy and freedom, but is your Chinese Exclusion Act freedom for the Chinese? That is not freedom!”*

The monstrous waves of U.S. discrimination against the Chinese crossed the Pacific, and Chinese national consciousness was awakened. No longer tolerating the injustice, the Chinese initiated a series of active boycotts of American goods. In 1905, even the fifth question in the second round of imperial examinations targeted the topic of the Chinese Exclusion Act: “American ban on Chinese laborers has been endured for the intended 10-year period; it’s time to invoke public law and reformulate the original contract to protect the policies for Chinese nationals.”

The Chinese Exclusion Act is now known for its notoriety. American Statesman Hall admits that the bill was a product of racial discrimination and incompatible with the U.S. Constitution. President Franklin D. Roosevelt put it bluntly, saying that it was a historical error.

At the outbreak of World War II, China and the U.S. formed as allies. During that time, Japan used the Chinese Exclusion Act as a major weapon of propaganda to drive a wedge between Sino-U.S. relations. Soong Mei-ling (also known as Madame Chiang, former First Lady of the Republic of China) gave an impassioned congressional speech that moved the audience deeply.

It is worth mentioning that the well-known leader Situ Meitang contributed to the reform cause greatly. Before entering into politics, Roosevelt served as the legal advisor in the Situ Meitang founded overseas Chinese society for 10 years, and the two formed a deep friendship. Situ Meitang wrote to his old friend and asked him to bring up the topic of repealing the unpopular Chinese Exclusion Act to Congress in sincere and touching words.

In December of 1943, President Roosevelt signed a decree that formally abolished the Chinese Exclusion Act. He said, “Congress is like individuals, prone to making mistakes. We need to possess the courage to recognize past mistakes, and correct them… to act upon the belated rectification of the past, and correct the unjust behaviors that we have demonstrated towards our friends.”*

The century old Chinese Exclusion movement has become past history, but it has left a historical trauma that is difficult to heal. Because the wives and daughters of Chinese nationals are not allowed to reunite in the U.S., the number of Chinese in the U.S. has dropped to 70,000. The residual fears of Chinese Americans are difficult to soothe, and Chinese Americans feel alienated from and apathetic towards American politics.

With the dawning of the second half of the 20th century, world history has turned to a new page, an era of national apology. Marginalized groups demanded an apology on the national level to restore historical facts, heal the wounds of history and come together to form a mighty historical movement. Through reinterpretation of history and investigating the unjust history deliberated ignored by mainstream society, the national apology will lay basis for political reconciliation.

The governments of Canada, Mexico and other countries have bowed their heads and apologized to the indigenous people. In recent years, the American government has also expressed apology to African Americans, Native Americans, Japanese citizens and Native Hawaiians.

Today, there are no less than four million Chinese Americans excelling in all kinds of fields. With an endless supply of Chinese American engineers, accountants, professors, the Chinese is now known as America’s model minority group. Chinese Congresswoman Zhao Maxim’s clarion and courageous call to action united the public and initiated the “1882 Plan,” with its purpose to call to mind the injustice of 1882 and rectify history.

On Oct. 6, 2011, the U.S. senate unanimously passed a motion that expressed America’s regret to the Chinese. Amicability found its place at the House of Representatives conference with the passing of the national apology bill, highlighting that American political figures as well as the public have taken a courageous step towards confronting with history, elevating political ethics, conserving human rights culture, and promoting reconciliation at the national level.

While the winds of time have made history into dust, the winds of justice have brought history back for inspection. History can be forgiven, but must not be forgotten.

*Editor’s note: The original quotation, although accurately translated, could not be verified.