12.17.07
The 64th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act repeal
December 17 marks the anniversary of The Magnuson Act being signed into law (in 1943).
Proposed by U.S. Representative Warren G. Magnuson (Washington), it made moot the Chinese Exclusion Act allowing immigration to the United States from China for the first time since 1882
It allowed for 105 Chinese immigrants to enter the United States each year. These immigrants were to be hand picked by the U.S. government.
Coincidentally (or not?) this came at a time when the U.S. sought China as an ally in WWII.
Regardless, a number of us are thankful for the passage of The Magnuson Act.
The Chinese Exclusion Act Of 1882 is the first and only act ever to target a specific nationality unfavorably.
Exclusions were extended to other (non Chinese) Asians via The Immigration Act of 1924.
Although in either a “omitted” or “repealed” status, currently “Exclusion of Chinese” headlines Chapter 7 of Title 8 of the United States Code (http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title8/chapter7_.html).
The Canadian version of the story is The Chinese Immigration Act (or lack thereof) Of 1923 which was repealed in 1947.
Currently, there are small movements to bring back the Chinese Exclusion Act while larger U.S. movements target the boycott of Chinese made goods.
The following incidents provide some insight into the “zeitgeist” of the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act:
The Chinese Massacre Of 1871
An angry mob of Anglos and Latins (over 500 strong) ransacked LA’s Chinatown. Robbing, raping, pillaging and murdering between 18-23 (of 178 total residents) Chinese people. The corpses were hung on display in various parts of the district.
As is the norm when it comes to anti-Asian violence, no one ever spent a day in jail for the crimes (you know “technicalities”, etc. …)
The Rock Springs Massacre Of 1885 (Wyoming)
Several white miners armed with rifles went into mining rooms occupied by Chinese miners and either robbed them first then shot them or shot them first then robbed them (does it really make a difference?) resulting in 28 deaths.
None of the assailants were convicted (that’s the surprise of the century) and received a post “trial” ovation.
The cause was attributed to lower wages paid to Chinese workers (much like today where Asians, specifically Chinese receive the lowest pay for the the same work) driving down the wages of the white workers.
Chinese Massacre Cove (Oregon, 1887)
A gang white men robbed, killed and subsequently mutilated 31 Chinese men.
No one was ever convicted (another chalk mark in the “believe it or not” column).
Washington State riots:
The Tacoma riot (1885)
The Issaquah riot (1885)
The Seattle riot (1886)
Then of course there’s the infamous Anti-Chinese riot of 1880 in Denver where
2000 rioters beat and robbed Chinese residents and hung an elderly man from a lamppost.
The Australian version of anti Chinese rioting would be the Lambing Flat Riots.
With anti Asian sentiment on the rise due to increased immigration for high tech grunt work and unfounded paranoia of rampant disease and an economic takeover, the only question is whether we have learned from our past and are now in a better position to defend ourselves more effectively?
死鬼老 said,
December 21, 2007 at 7:36 pm
The cause was attributed to lower wages paid to Chinese workers (much like today where Asians, specifically Chinese receive the lowest pay for the the same work) driving down the wages of the white workers.
All the Chinese I have worked with in Silicon Valley are getting standard salaries, and don’t East-Asian American Males have the highest average incomes in the US?
The Australian version of anti Chinese rioting would be the Lambing Flat Riots.
Hmmm, you learn something every day. I had never heard of that incident.
Marky said,
December 22, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Asians have a high average salary OVERALL
The key is that for the SAME JOB, Asians tend to be paid less
The lack of management positions is another subject altogether
死鬼老 said,
December 24, 2007 at 1:01 am
Asians have a high average salary OVERALL
The key is that for the SAME JOB, Asians tend to be paid less
I think you need to cite some generally accepted census data here. The only way I can think of for Asians to have higher average salaries overall, yet to always be paid less for doing the same job is for there to be a greatly restricted variance in their salaries and for the median asian income to be higher than the median white income. However, it is clear by simply looking at restaurants in places like Chinatown in SF there are some people there with low incomes.
Secondly, let’s be clear about who we are talking about. It is quite understandable that recent immigrants whose English skills are not as good as ABCs might not earn as much as whites in the same jobs.
Thirdly, are you lumping other Asians in here with Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, like, say Filipinos? The returns to IQ are well demonstrated and CJK IQs tend to average a few points higher than white IQs and definitely higher that non-Chinese Filipinos.
The lack of management positions is another subject altogether
Last I looked, Jerry Yang and a bunch of other Chinese CEOs and etc of firms in Silicon Valley were in management.
Please cite some reliable data.
Marky said,
December 24, 2007 at 9:53 am
Let’s take the management issue first. While Jerry Yang and a few others are CEOs, Asian males lacking in positions of leadership (whether it be corporate, education, etc.) is documented.
I didn’t cite studies because I’m not interested in winning a debate with you. If you Google it, you’ll most likely find more than one study.
Now lower pay for the same work is based in part on personal observation having worked as a consultant in at least two dozen different companies and knowing “who makes what”. And while that information is no more conclusive than the Jerry Yang statement, I believe that modelminority.com referenced a study done a number of years ago on the subject. You can email them and I’ll bet they have the information handy and can forward it to you.
All that aside I think the focus of the article is violence against Asians, specifically Chinese in Anglo countries and gripes should be directed to these offenders (see Williams’ Chinese delivery bludgeonings/killings roster)
死鬼老 said,
December 24, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I went to modelminority.com … it’s just another whining site:
Despite this, Americans reluctant to address the realities of continuing racism and white privilege have consistently portrayed Asian Americans as a “model minority” who have uniformly succeeded by merit.
Every time I hear the phrase white privilege I know that it is used as an excuse for the speaker’s failure to achieve.
I will stick with the Chinese people I know who are achievers, both here and in China.