Chinese Exclusion Act Immigration Files

The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited immigration of Chinese laborers and denied a pathway to citizenship for Chinese living in the U.S. Although it permitted certain Chinese laborers the ability to leave the U.S. temporarily, they were required to have certifications to depart and re-enter. Even Chinese American citizens by birth, returning from abroad, were detained, and forced to wait. They were held for weeks, and questioned repeatedly. The precious piece of paper – a government Certificate of Identity or a birth certificate – meant nothing. They were still “foreign,” questioned, distrusted. “You are guilty until you prove you’re not,” was the dominant attitude held by the U.S. 

These certificates of departure from the Wing Luke Museum Collection date to 1894. They include photos of Chinese American pioneers and personal information, such as their age, occupation, height, weight, and more. All of them made their place of residence in Seattle.  

Imagine what life would have been like for them. What challenges and experiences would they encounter living in the U.S.? What contributions do you think they made? What would they be feeling in the face of Chinese Exclusion at the time? With the rise of anti-Asian American racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, what do you imagine they would say today?