Daily AncestorChinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. and Chinese immigrants from naturalizing; its rules lasted until 1943.
Signed May 6, 1882, it suspended the entry of Chinese laborers for ten years. The Geary Act of 1892 extended it and made Chinese residents carry a certificate, and in 1902 it was made permanent. Merchants, students, teachers and travelers were exempt classes.
Enforcement produced large case files on anyone who traveled in or out: interrogations, photographs, family details and witness statements. They are often the best source for Chinese American families before December 1943, when Congress repealed exclusion and allowed naturalization.
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Daily Ancestor. "Chinese Exclusion Act." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/chinese-exclusion. Last checked 2026-10-03.