Why were Chinese Immigrants targeted by the Chinese Exclusion Act?

Question

a) They were treated better by employers than their white counterparts
b) they suffered growing discrimination
c) they populated urban spaces
d) they were wealthier than other Americans

Answer 1

The Chinese Exclusion Act targeted Chinese immigrants primarily because b) they suffered growing discrimination. This discrimination was fueled by economic competition, racial prejudice, and the perception that Chinese workers were taking jobs away from white Americans. The act, passed in 1882, was the first significant law in U.S. history to restrict immigration based on nationality and ethnicity, reflecting the widespread anti-Chinese sentiment at the time.