Chinese Exclusion Act – Part 1 & 2

Directed by Ric Burns, Li-Shin Yu

Co-produced by Center for Asian American Media, this film underscores important connections between the Chinese Exclusion Act and the history of US immigration. By examining the socio-economic and geo-political forces that led to the Act, the film uncovers its unmistakable and wide-ranging consequences on national attitudes towards race, culture, politics, and society. At its core this is a film about American identity, tracing the arc of what has defined being American from the time the US was a fledgling republic through its astronomical rise as a world superpower.

This film documents in fascinating detail the events leading to, consequences, and continuing impact of the only federal legislation in US history to single out and name a specific race and nationality for exclusion from immigration and citizenship.

The second half of this documentary will be shown after the Memories to Light Program, which explores a more recent history of Chinese Americans through a collection of home movies.