Question

Why did the US Congress pass an exclusion act in 1882 barring Chinese immigrants? A. because Chinese immigrants would work for low wages, which labor leaders felt took jobs away from US citizens B. because the Chinese immigrants refused to work for low wages, which labor leaders felt added jobs to the US economy C. because the federal government had decided to ban all immig

Answer 1

The correct answer is A.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a United States federal law prohibiting all immigration of Chinese labor.

From 1870 to 1880, Chinese immigrants represented the largest group of nonwhite immigrants in the U.S. at the time.

The Chinese immigrants were mostly men and they provided cheap labor, often working on farms, railroad construction and in low-paying industrial jobs. They were seen as unfair economic competition by many Americans. They were blamed for low wages and reduced job opportunities and for bringing drugs, crime and prostitution to the States.

To many, they posed an economic danger as they held job taken away from white Americans.