The Chinese Exclusion Act

Examine the origin, history and impact of the 1882 law that made it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for Chinese nationals already here ever to become U.S. citizens. The first in a long line of acts targeting the Chinese for exclusion, it remained in force for more than 60 years. Directed by award-winning documentary filmmakers Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu of Steeplechase Films, the film sheds a light on the important connections between the Chinese Exclusion Act and the history of American civil liberties, immigration, and culture. By examining the socio-economic and geo-political forces that led to the Act, the film will uncover 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 United States was a fledgling republic through its astronomical rise as a world superpower.

Come early to see The Chinese Helped Build the Railroad: An Exhibit at the Park City Library. This film screening and exhibit are part of the celebration of the completion of the transcontinental railroad 150 years ago. For information on other Spike 150 events around the State, please visit: https://spike150.org/

Official Website IMDb Info