#OTD in 1882 President Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act into law. The law ostensibly barred “Chinese Laborers,” but the way the law was worded meant that almost all Chinese immigrants were barred from entering the United States. 
It wasn't until 1965, a time in very recent memory, that China received a quota on par with the rest of the world. This discrepancy is highlighted in the April 1882 political cartoon from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, seen here.
Chinese immigrants are again a target for vilification during fears of Covid-19. Let us not be guided by fear again. #AAPIHM #immigrationlaw #standwithimmigrants #tenementmuseum #thisdayinhistory
