The Chinese Exclusion Act Online
In 1882, the U.S. government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States. The law also denied Chinese people the right to become U.S. citizens. In this online talk, Hidetaka Hirota will discuss the background and impacts of the Chinese Exclusion Act. What led lawmakers to enact the law? How was it implemented? How did Chinese immigrants respond to the law? How did it affect subsequent federal immigration policy and shape discussions of immigration and naturalization today?
Hidetaka Hirota is an Associate Professor of History at UC Berkeley specializing in U.S. immigration. His book, Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy, explores the origins of immigration restriction in the United States.
Registration is required.
This August, go back to school with our Level Up Your Learning: Adult Lecture Series. Learn about history and culture around the world from the following talks:
- Sunday, Aug. 10 - Iranian Dance and Ritual
- Monday, Aug. 11 - The Silk Road: Globalization in the Ancient World
- Tuesday, Aug. 19 - Muslim Women and Global Feminism
- Thursday, Aug. 21 - The Chinese Exclusion Act
- Monday, Aug. 25 - Transgender Histories in Imperial China
- Wednesday, Aug. 27 - Lifeways of the Ohlone Indians of the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area
Image: American Experience: The Chinese Exclusion Act. PBS.
- Date:
- Thursday, August 21, 2025
- Time:
- 7:00pm - 8:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Pacific Time - US & Canada (change)
- Work Unit:
- Adult Services
- Online:
- This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
- Audience:
- Adults
- Categories:
- ESL/Multicultural History
Program Disclaimer
This program uses a third-party website link. By attending this program, you may be using a website not operated by the Sunnyvale Public Library. For privacy concerns or questions review Zoom's privacy policies.
Accessibility
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Sunnyvale will make reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with disabilities. If you require special accommodation, please contact the library at 408-730-7300 or chat with a librarian at least three days in advance of the program.