The Chinese Must Go: Violence, Exclusion, and the Making of the Alien in America
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- Create Date：2021-08-23 19:21:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Beth Lew-Williams
- ISBN：067426035X
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Summary
Winner of the Ray Allen Billington Prize
Winner of the Ellis W。 Hawley Prize
Winner of the Caroline Bancroft History Prize
Winner of the Sally and Ken Owens Award
Winner of the Vincent P。 DeSantis Book Prize
"A powerful argument about racial violence that could not be more timely。。。White nationalists targeted Chinese immigrants as threats to their homes and jobs and blamed the American government for failing to seal the borders。"
--Richard White， author of The Republic for Which It Stands
"A riveting， beautifully written account。。。that foregrounds Chinese voices and experiences。 A timely and important contribution to our understanding of immigration and the border。"
--Karl Jacoby， author of Shadows at Dawn
"Lew-Williams particularly excels at invoking the psychological effects of the law on Chinese people living in the United States。"
--Slate
In 1885， following the massacre of Chinese miners in Wyoming Territory， communities throughout California and the Pacific Northwest harassed， assaulted， and expelled thousands of Chinese immigrants。 The Chinese Must Go shows how American immigration policies incited this violence， and how this gave rise to the concept of the "alien" in America。
Our story begins in the 1850s， before federal border control established strict divisions between citizens and aliens--and long before Congress passed the Chinese Restriction Act， the nation's first attempt to bar immigration based on race and class。 When this unprecedented experiment failed to slow Chinese migration， armed vigilante groups took the matter into their own hands。 Fearing the spread of mob violence， policymakers redoubled their efforts to seal the borders， overhauling immigration law and transforming America's relationship with China in the process。 By tracing the idea of the alien back to this violent era， Lew-Williams offers a troubling new origin story of today's racialized border。
Winner of the Ellis W。 Hawley Prize
Winner of the Caroline Bancroft History Prize
Winner of the Sally and Ken Owens Award
Winner of the Vincent P。 DeSantis Book Prize
"A powerful argument about racial violence that could not be more timely。。。White nationalists targeted Chinese immigrants as threats to their homes and jobs and blamed the American government for failing to seal the borders。"
--Richard White， author of The Republic for Which It Stands
"A riveting， beautifully written account。。。that foregrounds Chinese voices and experiences。 A timely and important contribution to our understanding of immigration and the border。"
--Karl Jacoby， author of Shadows at Dawn
"Lew-Williams particularly excels at invoking the psychological effects of the law on Chinese people living in the United States。"
--Slate
In 1885， following the massacre of Chinese miners in Wyoming Territory， communities throughout California and the Pacific Northwest harassed， assaulted， and expelled thousands of Chinese immigrants。 The Chinese Must Go shows how American immigration policies incited this violence， and how this gave rise to the concept of the "alien" in America。
Our story begins in the 1850s， before federal border control established strict divisions between citizens and aliens--and long before Congress passed the Chinese Restriction Act， the nation's first attempt to bar immigration based on race and class。 When this unprecedented experiment failed to slow Chinese migration， armed vigilante groups took the matter into their own hands。 Fearing the spread of mob violence， policymakers redoubled their efforts to seal the borders， overhauling immigration law and transforming America's relationship with China in the process。 By tracing the idea of the alien back to this violent era， Lew-Williams offers a troubling new origin story of today's racialized border。
Reviews
Sy
，
What a compelling work。 The “grassroots” violence including decimations in the nineteenth century was no where near the horror created by the systematically legislated alienation throughout the twentieth century that still haunts us today。 “Heathen Chinaman”。
Paul
，
A mob of nativist， white supremacist， economically insecure Americans demonize brown-skinned people， form mobs to harass immigrants， and create paramilitary groups to patrol the borders for alleged "illegals。" Thank goodness America has changed since the 1880s。 A mob of nativist， white supremacist， economically insecure Americans demonize brown-skinned people， form mobs to harass immigrants， and create paramilitary groups to patrol the borders for alleged "illegals。" Thank goodness America has changed since the 1880s。 。。。more
Courtney Chartier
，
A very compelling read。 Lew-Williams traces the story of localized， racial violence against Chinese migrants in the Pacific Northwest （primarily） twinned with the story of national efforts to maintain economic relationships with China。 The government wanted open trade networks， major business owners wanted a source of cheap labor， and the white working-class wanted the competition eliminated。 The story of who wins and in what ways is fascinating and concludes with a lesson on the making of the " A very compelling read。 Lew-Williams traces the story of localized， racial violence against Chinese migrants in the Pacific Northwest （primarily） twinned with the story of national efforts to maintain economic relationships with China。 The government wanted open trade networks， major business owners wanted a source of cheap labor， and the white working-class wanted the competition eliminated。 The story of who wins and in what ways is fascinating and concludes with a lesson on the making of the "alien" and the "citizen" in the U。S。 Her work also serves to correct assumptions by historians about Chinese migrants （the big one: they weren't transient; they were often violently removed from their homes and run out of town）。Always delighted to see excellent footnotes and wonderful use of archival records！ 。。。more
Thomas Ray
，
See also Sucheng Chan's books: https://www。goodreads。com/author/list。。。 See also Sucheng Chan's books: https://www。goodreads。com/author/list。。。 。。。more
Matthew Rohn
，
Lew-Williams' blending of individual experiences of anti-Chinese violence and the grand political questions of American immigration and racial policy in this period is deeply impressive in a way that only a few other books such as Cold War Civil Rights have done。 Also demonstrates the administrative problem of the sheer scale of the United States and the frontier in the 19th century in a way that I haven't seen before。 A deeply impressive and nicely compact book Lew-Williams' blending of individual experiences of anti-Chinese violence and the grand political questions of American immigration and racial policy in this period is deeply impressive in a way that only a few other books such as Cold War Civil Rights have done。 Also demonstrates the administrative problem of the sheer scale of the United States and the frontier in the 19th century in a way that I haven't seen before。 A deeply impressive and nicely compact book 。。。more
Josh Reid
，
Outstanding！ Well written and deeply researched。
Mills College Library
，
305。8951 L669 2018
Lisa
，