Records of Exclusion: Chinese Immigration in Historical Perspective

In 1875, the Page Act, the first federal immigration restriction banned all Chinese women from entering the country; it was followed by a series of Chinese Exclusion laws restricting other types of immigration from China. These policies, which were in effect until 1943, reflect years of violence against Chinese immigrants. Demographer Hannah Postel will examine the effects of exclusion policies on Chinese immigration, the migration choices of Chinese immigrants already in the U.S., their occupational choices, and socioeconomic mobility. She will analyze data on immigration, emigration, and mortality records from the National Archives as well as census data for her study.