Asian Americans Faced Historical Exclusion

Why this is here: Historians note nearly 200 communities in the American West expelled Chinese residents during the late 19th century, often violently.

Judy Woodruff and journalist Michael Luo examine the history of discrimination against Asian Americans in the United States. The PBS NewsHour segment details how hostility towards Chinese immigrants began in California during the gold rush and expanded with the building of the transcontinental railroad. This led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882—the first U.S. law barring entry based on race—and widespread violence against Chinese communities, including mass expulsions and a deadly lynching in Los Angeles.

Luo connects this historical exclusion to his own experience with a stranger telling him to “go back to China.” He details how Angel Island detained Chinese residents and how officials tracked them through surveillance and interrogation. Despite these challenges, Chinese activists protested restrictions and Wong Kim Ark’s case established birthright citizenship.

While the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act eased restrictions, Luo notes that feelings of precarity remain for Asian Americans, especially during times of crisis. The segment suggests this history offers lessons for how the U.S. grapples with questions of belonging and equality, and the work of understanding this history continues.