House Passes Resolution Expressing Regret for Chinese Exclusion Laws

By John | Tuesday, June 19, 2012 | 6 Comments

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Back in 2009, I had blogged about how the state of California apologized for its role in the Chinese Exclusion Acts. On Monday, the House of Representatives, lead by California Congresswoman Judy Chu (the first Chinese American woman ever elected into the House of Representatives) officially passed House Resolution 683 – “Expressing the regret of the House of Representatives for the passage of laws that adversely affected the Chinese in the United States, including the Chinese Exclusion Act.”

For those of you who have forgotten your history, here’s a brief reminder:

“Between 1879 and 1904, Congress passed a number of laws targeting Chinese immigrants, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, signed by President Arthur. It barred Chinese laborers from entering the country for a decade (and later extended) and denied U.S. citizenship to Chinese immigrants already here. The law was repealed in 1943 after China became a U.S. ally in World War II.”

I imagine a Senate version will eventually pass. I think the main thing holding back this resolution (as well as the Senate version) since May of 2011 was ensuring that there were no reparations.

Of course, this resolution is primarily symbolic. But I think it is important for any nation to recognize its own past misdeeds, especially when they violate the very spirit of the founding of the nation. The Chinese Exclusion Acts were the only laws ever passed by the United States preventing immigration and naturalization to one specific race or people – and were only repealed when China asked for them to be repealed when the U.S. was seeking an official alliance to fight the Japanese in World War II.

Asian Americans consist of approximately 6% of the U.S. population, with Chinese Americans representing the largest portion of that population. I can only imagine what America would look like today had the Chinese Exclusion Acts not been passed. I think one can say for certain that there would be more Asian Americans today, and we would be considered more “mainstream” and less of the “perpetual foreigner” and being asked “Where are you from?” is truly an innocent question, with no follow-up’s of “Where are you really from?”

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Facebook Comments (Beta)

Chantal Testman

Yes but you also must take into consideration the country was torn. Between the north industrial movement as “free labor” and south “slave states” along with the west ward expansion. The african (although not consider human but chattel property) was a better choice of labor verse chinese. Even though I’m well aware chinese indinterd slaves existed in caribbean they didn’t handle manual labor in tropical often swap lands. They show progress in other division of economics that treaten the white males progression. In the eyes of whites back then oppression was the act of white progress that other nonwhites within states union must be submissive.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ahmed-Sanchez-De-La-Cruz-Kim/58700922 Ahmed Sanchez De La Cruz Kim

Yeah, it’s true that without the Chinese exclusion act, there definitely would have been an increase of people of Chinese descent living in America.

The interesting thing though is that a large number of those “potential” Chinese Americans would have been probably mixed-race. Chinese emigration in the past were still predominately male, and for several reasons, the number of females during that time period would have increase too but probably not enough to have a sustaining population. Looking at the old Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and Latin America, a lot of the Chinese men had relations and children with women of all races and backgrounds, Native, white, black, creole, other Asian, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, etc. Even without a law, considering the other issues of that era, there’s a chance many of those potential Chinese Americans would have form a unique sub-cultural identity of America, like an infusion of different traditions with Chinese flavor.
http://www.facebook.com/tinabot Tina Tsai

Finally. I admit, I listened rather intently to see if I could hear any nays in the house.
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com ErnieAtLYD

It’s a symbolic bill, Tina. No one would dare. If this resolution was attached to a bill that effected immigration, then, of course, we have a completely different story.
WhiskeyJunkie

Of course it passed…
China represents vast economic interests. The gov must maintain a good face with those they use.
This “apology” is as hollow and empty as a fortune cookie sans fortune.
If this bill were created and pushed by non chinese/asians, I’d find the act at least genuine.
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