The Chinese Exclusion Act was a federal law passed in 1882 that prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States, and it was the first significant law that restricted immigration into the country based on race and nationality. At the same time, the Gentlemen`s Agreement was an informal agreement between the United States and Japan that restricted Japanese emigration to the United States.
Despite being two separate laws, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Gentlemen`s Agreement share some similarities. One way in which these two laws are similar is that both were designed to limit the number of immigrants coming into the United States.
The Chinese Exclusion Act was explicitly aimed at curbing the influx of Chinese immigrants into the country. This law barred Chinese laborers from entering the United States, and it also prohibited Chinese immigrants who had left the country from returning. The law was initially supposed to last for ten years, but it was eventually extended several times and remained in effect until 1943.
The Gentlemen`s Agreement was also designed to limit immigration, but it was focused on Japanese immigrants. In 1907, the agreement was reached between the United States and Japan, which limited the number of Japanese immigrants who could come to the United States. The Japanese government agreed to stop issuing passports for laborers, while the United States agreed to stop the segregation of Japanese immigrants in public schools.
Both the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Gentlemen`s Agreement were also motivated by racial and cultural prejudices. The Chinese were seen as unworthy of being part of American society, while the Japanese were viewed as being different from Americans and therefore less desirable as immigrants.
In conclusion, both the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Gentlemen`s Agreement were laws designed to limit immigration to the United States. While they are two separate laws, they share some similarities in their motivation, goals, and impact on immigration to the United States. These laws highlight the complicated and often fraught relationship that the United States has had with immigration and race throughout its history.