Anti-Asian/Asian American history in the United States: Anti-AAPI history, United States
Legislated hate
Legislated hate
While Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have been and are currently the targets of "extra-judicial" discrimination, there have been numerous laws, acts, court rulings,... by state or federally, that have targeted AAPI people either directly, or effectively. Below are just a few.
- People v. Hall"In 1854, the California Supreme Court reinforced racism against Asian immigrants in People v. Hall, ruling that people of Asian descent could not testify against a White person in court, virtually guaranteeing that Whites could escape punishment for anti-Asian violence.
- Page Act (Law)Ostensibly written to prevent Chinese (and other Asian) female prostitutes and other "undesirables" from immigrating to the United States, this impacted Asian women generally, and had long-term consequences overall on the growing Asian population of the United States.
- Chinese Exclusion ActIn 1882, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese immigration for 20 years. It was not repealed until 1943.
- Japanese-American Internment During World War IIWhile 9066 doesn't specify the internment or "exclusion" of Japanese Americans, those who were of Japanese descent were overwhelmingly the target of this Executive Order, rationalized as a security measure post-Pearl Harbor attack.
- White Supremacy and the Alien Land Laws of Washington State"In Washington State, the laws (prohibiting non-citizen land ownership) specifically targeted Chinese and Japanese, but they also impacted Native Americans, South Asians, Koreans and many other groups."
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