President Joe Biden issued a statement Sunday on the anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, emphasizing that today’s immigration system better reflects the values ​​of the United States as a nation of immigrants.
Recall that the Chinese Exclusion Act was a special law passed on May 6, 1882 in response to mass Chinese immigration to the United States.
“Our country was founded on the fundamental idea that we are created equal and deserve equal treatment,” the president said in a statement released by the White House. “For 61 years, the Chinese Exclusion Act… used our immigration system to discriminate against an entire ethnic group, followed by further discrimination against many in Europe and… Asia.”
The President noted that after the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943, laws followed that created an immigration system that better reflected the values ​​of the United States as a nation of immigrants.
“We recognize that despite the progress we have made, hatred will never go away. She’s just hiding. And today, some continue to demonize immigrants and fan the flames of intolerance,” Biden said.
The President noted that for generations, people of Chinese descent have contributed to the prosperity of the United States by doing the hard work of building the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s, serving in the military, creating works of art and literature, and making scientific discoveries.
“We honor them and all immigrants who continue to make extraordinary contributions to our country,” Biden said.
