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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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 Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:51 am Post subject: US apologizes for Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 |
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US finally apologizes for Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
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| Congresswoman Judy Chu authored H. Res. 683 to express the regret of the House of Representatives for passing the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. That law prevented Chinese citizens from becoming naturalized American citizens, voting, or immigrating to the United States. It lasted for 60 years until 1943, scarring the Chinese American community for generations. This was the first and only federal law in U.S. history that excluded a single group of people from immigration on no basis other than their race, splitting apart families permanently. |
Here's a round-up of Chinese press reactions.
It wasn't all discrimination in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a handful of California laws discriminating against Chinese. Additionally, in 1898, SCOTUS ruled in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, and held that "A child born in the United States, of alien parents not serving in a diplomatic capacity, acquires United States citizenship at birth via the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."
Nevertheless, it took too long for U.S. Congress to apologize. Its 2012, already. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| Well, we didn't apologize for slavery until 2008, so it looks like we moved more quickly on this front. Progress. |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:25 am Post subject: |
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| *sigh* |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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| When did apologizing for things that no living person is even remotely responsible for anymore get trendy? Frankly, I'm sick of it. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Underwaterbob wrote: |
| When did apologizing for things that no living person is even remotely responsible for anymore get trendy? Frankly, I'm sick of it. |
It's like watching your buddy move a couple boxes then telling him after the fact that you would have helped him, if you'd known he needed help. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Underwaterbob wrote: |
| When did apologizing for things that no living person is even remotely responsible for anymore get trendy? Frankly, I'm sick of it. |
Think of it from the Chinese perspective. I believe the gesture is quite valuable and worthwhile. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I anticipate a similar apology from the Chinese for excluding everybody since forever. |
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Dave Chance
Joined: 30 May 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Titus wrote: |
| I anticipate a similar apology from the Chinese for excluding everybody since forever. |
This one not only exclusive to Chinese people. |
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radcon
Joined: 23 May 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:01 am Post subject: |
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| Can I immigrate to China and become a citizen? If not I want my apology from China. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Tsk tsk.
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first immigration and naturalization law in the history of the United States. Before that, there were neither legal nor illegal immigrants, only immigrants. And the United States was, and still is, an immigrant nation. Thus, Chinese were singled out, and denied the equal protection of the laws (at least insofar as it affected Chinese already within the United States). The concerns were entirely racial. The law was motivated by loathsome stereotypes of Chinese.
wiki Chinese Exclusion Act
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The Act excluded Chinese "skilled and unskilled laborers employed in mining" from entering the country for ten years under penalty of imprisonment and deportation.
Any Chinese who left the United States had to obtain certifications for reentry, and the Act made Chinese immigrants permanent aliens by excluding them from U.S. citizenship. After the Act's passage, Chinese men in the U.S. had little chance of ever reuniting with their wives, or of starting families in their new homes. |
| Titus wrote: |
| I anticipate a similar apology from the Chinese for excluding everybody since forever. |
Ignorant.
| radcon wrote: |
| Can I immigrate to China and become a citizen? If not I want my apology from China. |
Moronic. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| radcon wrote: |
| Can I immigrate to China and become a citizen? |
Yes, you can. Do you actually want to? |
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rollo
Joined: 10 May 2006
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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It was not entirely racial. The move to exclude the Chinese was led by unions. The Chinese would work for lower wages that was the real issue. The racist stereotyping was a facade , stories about Chinese kidnapping young girls ,addicting them to opium n and forcing them into prostution were the most common tales.
Interestingly a Chinese historian has written that the fact that the Chinese did not attempt to integrate themselves into the American society, was also to blame. iSince almost all the Chinese who came over were single men criminals in the Chinese communities brought in lots of prostitutes. So it seemed that prostituion was prevalent and accepted in Chinese communities.th that Chinese men were roaming around looking for young women to enslave. Also many of the prostitutes were white so that stirred up feelings . But it was more about economics than race |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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| rollo wrote: |
It was not entirely racial. The move to exclude the Chinese was led by unions. The Chinese would work for lower wages that was the real issue. The racist stereotyping was a facade , stories about Chinese kidnapping young girls ,addicting them to opium n and forcing them into prostution were the most common tales.
Interestingly a Chinese historian has written that the fact that the Chinese did not attempt to integrate themselves into the American society, was also to blame. iSince almost all the Chinese who came over were single men criminals in the Chinese communities brought in lots of prostitutes. So it seemed that prostituion was prevalent and accepted in Chinese communities.th that Chinese men were roaming around looking for young women to enslave. Also many of the prostitutes were white so that stirred up feelings . But it was more about economics than race |
Racism is like that. And the horrible racial stereotypes were part and parcel of the 'day took 'er jobs' mentality.
http://ethicsoup.typepad.com/.a/6a00e554e81be388340168e75b92fc970c-800wi
Yellow Peril
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bigverne
Joined: 12 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| radcon wrote: |
| Can I immigrate to China and become a citizen? |
Yes, you can. Do you actually want to? |
According to the link you provided, a foreigner can apply for citizenship if they:
a.have close relatives who are Chinese nationals;
b.have settled in a part of China; or
c.have other legitimate reasons for applying for citizenship
The first criterion excludes anyone not ethically Chinese, the second almost certainly requires long-term residency, which itself means obtaining the legal right to work in China (which I'm guessing is not as easily obtainable as an H-1B visa), and the third is wildly open to interpretation. In short, they have a very restrictive immigration policy. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| bigverne wrote: |
| the second almost certainly requires long-term residency, which itself means obtaining the legal right to work in China |
Would this really be an especial challenge for anyone on this forum? There are plenty of posters here who live and work in China as we speak, and they do not generally construe gaining employment in China as a particularly difficult obstacle to overcome. And even if for some reason you can't, there is always category C, which I am also not entirely certain how to interpret but does not sound especially restrictive to me.
Rollo and Kuros both have experience living in China, perhaps one of them could offer a more thorough explanation of the details.
| bigverne wrote: |
| (which I'm guessing is not as easily obtainable as an H-1B visa), and the third is wildly open to interpretation. In short, they have a very restrictive immigration policy. |
Not restrictive in the same sense the American policy in question was. The injustice of the American policy was not in its restrictiveness, it was in the nature of its criteria. "You need to have a legitimate reason for wanting to become a citizen," and, "You can't be Chinese," are simply fundamentally different requirements. |
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