Chinese immigrants came to the United States in the 1880s to do intensive labor. A law passed in 1882 called the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited the immigration of Chinese labor to the United States for the next 10 years. The law was signed by President Chester A. Arthur. Some background on why the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. In the 1850s, Chinese immigrants came to the West Coast of America to seek work, such as mining natural resources such as gold, and to take other jobs such as farming , factory work, and to help build the transcontinental railroad to the western United States. With the increase in the Chinese immigrant population, many people in the United States have initiated anti-Chinese sentiment in the American economy. These groups began to restrict the immigration of Chinese workers to the United States. This started a bitter diplomatic situation between the Chinese people and the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Chinese Exclusion Act began to cause environmental conflicts such as ethnic discrimination and economic and cultural tensions. But the Chinese mostly came to the United States to work and send money to their families. In fact, most Chinese workers received higher wages than actual citizens in the United States. California also passed laws stating that interracial marriages could not occur, no testimony could be given in court, and Chinese could not become naturalized citizens of the United States. In 1879, Congress introduced a bill that when the Chinese arrived on a ship plane, there could be no more than 15 people, no more, no less. But it only made it into legislation when President Rutherford B. Hayes vetoed it. He said the bill violated U.S. treaty agreements with China and immigrants. Democrats and Republicans had totally different opinions on China's immigration laws. Democrats thought they supported the total exclusion of Chinese immigrants, while Republicans were committed to free immigration. President Hayes planned to revise the Burlingame-Seward Treaty so that China would accept limits on immigration to the United States. The Burlingame – Seward Treaty was passed in 1868. This treaty was basically a territorial treaty with the United States and China that left them on good terms. It was also meant for immigration restrictions with China and its immigrants. The Chinese Exclusion Act was in fact abolished when the Magnuson Act was signed on December 17, 1943. Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The Magnuson Act of 1943 was also known as China's Exclusion Repeal Law. Bottom line, the US was very brutal in the way they handled things with the Chinese. Like they were people just trying to make a living and trying to help their families back home, but the US tried to come up with some laws and actions to keep them out of the US. Such as the Chinese Exclusion Act which limited the number of Chinese allowed into the United States, or the Burlingame-Seward Treaty, a territorial treaty between the United States and China..