The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 resulted in the deportation of half of the Chinese in the United States. was only applied in California. was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. banned Chinese in the United States from becoming naturalized citizens. had little effect on the size of the Chinese population in America.

Chinese immigrants had moved to the US in significant numbers from the mid-19th century onwards, especially to California. However, they were not readily accepted, and animosity towards them only grew over time. The decline of the US economy in the 1870s led to many people blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs and low wages, with the Chinese being especially targeted. President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act on May 6, 1882, which banned unqualified Chinese immigrants from entering the United States, and banned Chinese already living in the US from becoming naturalized citizens. The law was only repealed in 1943, as a show of goodwill towards China in the fight against the Japanese Empire during World War II.