The Human Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act

detainees

people who are being kept in prison, sometimes for political reasons

calligraphy

Chinese script, usually written with brushes and ink

decades

periods of ten years

demolition

planned destruction of a building or other structure

excluded

prevented someone from doing something or being part of a group; left out

barracks

a building or group of buildings, usually where soldiers live

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

an act of Congress that banned the immigration of skilled or unskilled Chinese laborers into the U.S. for 10 years, and deprived Chinese immigrants in America of the right to apply for citizenship

racism

discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

humiliation

having one's self-respect and dignity taken away; being made to feel shame

traumatized

having suffered physical, mental, or emotional pain and injury

Angel Island Immigration Station

on an island in San Francisco Bay, this immigration center processed and detained nearly 1 million Asian immigrants between 1910 and 1940, leading it to be called "The Ellis Island of the West."

interrogation

the act of asking someone many questions, sometimes in a forceful way

exclusion

the act of leaving someone out of a group

spearhead

to be the leader of something; to start something (like a political movement)

public awareness campaign

when people use television, newspapers, social media, and other methods of communication to help the public understand a particular message and sometimes ask people to take action

laborer

worker (usually unskilled work)