Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses anti-Chinese racism.

Chinese people began immigrating to the US in large numbers in the mid-19th century, primarily to work as laborers. They often worked in the gold mines of the west, building railroads, in factory jobs, and doing agricultural work. However, many white Americans saw the influx of Chinese immigrants as an economic, moral, and cultural threat. Racial distinctions allowed businesses and industries to hire people of color for much lower wages than unionized white people, which often resulted in white Americans feeling that they had fewer job prospects. 

In response to these concerns, California attempted to pass various pieces of legislation before the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act to limit Chinese immigration. These laws, however, violated treaties the US had with China, leading the federal government to block the effects of the state legislation. In May of 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned the immigration into the United States of all Chinese laborers for 10 years. The Chinese Exclusion Act also made it illegal or impossible for Chinese people currently residing in the United States to re-enter the country after leaving if they didn’t receive certifications from US government bodies. 

The impact of this legislation on Chinese immigration continued with the Geary Act in 1892. The Geary Act extended the Chinese Exclusion Act for an additional 10 years, and was subsequently made permanent in 1902. In 1924, Congress passed the Immigration Act (also known as the National Origins Act or the Johnson-Reed Act), which expanded the limitations to other nationalities and ethnicities. The state and federal laws made white prejudice against people of Chinese descent more acceptable, creating an overt atmosphere of hatred toward Chinese people in many major cities throughout the west. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, immigration legislation was passed that counteracted some of the quotas and requirements for immigration into the US, and “Congress condemned the Chinese Exclusion Act” in 2011 and 2012 (“Chinese Exclusion Act [1882].” National Archives).

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk addresses the prejudices that Chinese immigrants faced during this time, with the expulsion of Mei Lien’s family and the hostility that Mei Lien faces on Orcas Island drawing upon the real-life historical discrimination many Chinese immigrants experienced. Some other novels that address Chinese identity, history, and women’s societal roles include Lisa See’s Lady Tan’s Circle of Women and Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife, while Qian Julie Wang’s Beautiful Country: A Memoir offers a contemporary portrait of the Chinese immigrant experience in the modern United States.