ASIA AM 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: California Alien Land Law Of 1913, Alien Land Laws, Immigration Act Of 1924
24 Feb 2017
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Laws, Labor, Love, and Anti-Asian Sentiment on the West Coast
Top down history- anti-asian laws (related to those with power)
Asian americans and American Law
● Law governs society, defines who qualifies for the rights and privileges of society,
defines who Americans are, has the power to create or destroy social/physical borders,
is not neutral or objective; reflects the context of society in which it is written
● Immigration
○ Immigration laws shaped asians and the development of asian american
communities
■ 1790 immigration and naturalization act
■ 1882 chinese exclusion act- “unfair” competitors- bar them out
○ Japanese immigration
■ 1907 Gentleman’s Agreement
● Japs wanted integration of schools- only allowed Japanese male
workers
■ 1924 Immigration Act- Johnson Reed Act- halted all Japanese
immigration
○ Filipino bachelors, white men, and economic and romantic competition
■ Came in the 1920s in large numbers
■ Migrationary work
■ Taking “our jobs and women” (unemployed white and Filipinos in the
same club)
■ Responses: anti-filipino riots in watsonville, CA Jan. 19-23 1930
■ Bombing of Filipino Federation of America building of Stockton, Jan. 29,
1930
■ Self-repatriation and the Tydings-McDuffie Act, 1934
● “Nationals”- part of US but not citizen
○ Recurring themes?
■ Asian immigrants are excluded b/c of race- political culture of seeing them
as “others”
● Chinese- “rats”
● Japs: disloyal, loyal only to their emperor
● Filipinos- “tiny brown monkeys”
■ Economic competition is a key force behind exclusion
● Economic competition- “unfair”
● Japs- did beyond expectations of everything that was given to
them
● Domestic laws that shaped asian american mobility and community
○ Economic mobility- Didn’t want asians to enjoy upper economic mobility
■ 1852 Foreign Minor’s Tax
● Applied to only chinese workers (during gold rush)
■ 1913 and 1920 Alien Land Laws (CA)
● The right to purchase agricultural lands was restricted for the
“aliens ineligible to citizenship” (1790 immigration act)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Laws, labor, love, and anti-asian sentiment on the west coast. Top down history- anti-asian laws (related to those with power) Immigration laws shaped asians and the development of asian american communities. 1882 chinese exclusion act- unfair competitors- bar them out. Japs wanted integration of schools- only allowed japanese male workers. 1924 immigration act- johnson reed act- halted all japanese immigration. Filipino bachelors, white men, and economic and romantic competition. Came in the 1920s in large numbers. Taking our jobs and women (unemployed white and filipinos in the same club) Responses: anti-filipino riots in watsonville, ca jan. 19-23 1930. Bombing of filipino federation of america building of stockton, jan. 29, Asian immigrants are excluded b/c of race- political culture of seeing them. Japs: disloyal, loyal only to their emperor. Economic competition is a key force behind exclusion. Japs- did beyond expectations of everything that was given to them. Domestic laws that shaped asian american mobility and community.
