Chinese Application for Return

Although Asian immigrants had helped the West become independent of eastern resources and aided the South to economic recovery after the Civil War, the United States policies against Asians became more racist and restrictive. Around the time Chinatowns were forming in United States cities, Congress was drafting exclusion legislation to prohibit Chinese migration and naturalization. The Geary Act of 1892 required Chinese people to register and hold a certificate to live and work in the states. Failure to apply and hold the required documents would result in detention, imprisonment, or deportation. It was difficult to even obtain status to get a certificate because of the restrictive nature of the exclusion acts. Few exemptions existed for relatives, teachers, students, merchants, or those with special documentation from the Chinese government.