On May 6, 1882, President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act into law. The act severely restricted immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States and barred many Chinese residents from becoming citizens. It reflected widespread anti-Chinese sentiment in the West, where Chinese workers faced discrimination and violence. The law marked the first significant federal restriction on immigration based on nationality or ethnicity. It remained in force, with some changes, for decades and influenced later immigration policies. The act is now widely viewed as a discriminatory law that had long-lasting effects on Asian American communities.
