Answer:
Chinese Exclusion Act
Step 1: Read the timeline carefully. Write a hypothesis for why Chinese immigration
was restricted in 1882. (Use evidence from the events to make a guess why immigration
was restricted).
● Hypothesis: I believe that Chinese immigration was restricted because the
Chinese were being favored rather than Americans for jobs. This could be
suggested due to the Central Pacific Railroad recruited workers from China in
1865.
Step 2: Read Documents A-D. For each, write any evidence you find for why Chinese
immigration was restricted in 1882.
Document A:
Pioneer Laundry
Workers Flyer
Focus Questions:
1. Who wrote the document? Pioneer Laundry Workers
Assembly
2. Who did this organization represent? Knights of Labor
3. Why might the members of this organization held these
views? The members of the organization held their views
because they thought that Chinese do nothing at all in
return.
What evidence does this document provide about why Chinese
immigration was restricted in 1882?
● “...that the CHINAMAN takes labor from our country
without the returning prosperity to our land the way the
labor of our labor does to our glorious country.”
Document B:
New York Herald
Focus Questions:
1. How might the economic conditions in Document B
influenced the opinion of the Pioneer Laundry Workers
from Document A? The economic conditions in Doc. B
can influence Doc. A due to the decline in products and
importation.
Does this Document provide evidence about what led to the
restriction of Chinese immigration in 1882? Why or why not?
● No, because it doesn’t refer to just the Chinese, but to
every industry/company being affected by this.
Document C:
Congressional
Testimony of
Franklin Pixley
Focus Questions:
1. What is Pixley’s argument for ending Chinese
immigration? Pixley’s argument for ending Chinese
immigration is wanting to keep it because he states that
the “aliens” are unchangeable and wouldn’t accept
American behavior.
2. Where was Pixley attorney General? Knowing what you
do about where the Chinese immigrated to, how might this
affect Pixley’s information?
3. Where did Pixley give his testimony? What does this
suggest about how big of an issue Chinese Immigration
was to the government? Pixley gave his testimony at the
House of Congress, making it a big deal since it was told
at two HOC.
What Evidence does this Document provide about why Chinese
immigration was restricted in 1882?
● “...that they can never assimilate with us; that they are
perpetual, unchanging, and unchangeable alien element
that can never become homogenous…”
Document D:
Wong Ar Chong’s
Letter
Focus Questions:
1. Who wrote this document? How was the author’s
perspective (view on the issue) different than the other
documents? Wong Ar Chong wrote this document and his
perspective is against the senator’s support of banning
Chinese immigration.
2. Aside from this different view, what information in Chong’s
deals with similar issues that are found in Document A?
What issues are similar from Document C? Document A
talks about the jobs, Document C criticizes the chinese,
and Document D explains the whole thing.
What Evidence does this Document provide about why Chinese
immigration was restricted in 1882?
● “China people pay no taxes… China people are not
healthy.
God bless!
Explanation:
From https://1005233.weebly.com/uploads/9/9/0/4/99048090/jessy_alvarez-santos_-_chinese_exclusion_act_qs.pdf
