Biden commemorates 80th anniversary of repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act

United States President Joe Biden observed the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a legislation enacted in 1882 that prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country.

In an official statement from the White House on Sunday, Biden characterized the legislation as a tool that"weaponized our immigration system to discriminate against an entire ethnic group and was followed by further discrimination against many in Europe and all of Asia."

"For generations, people of Chinese heritage have enriched our country – from Chinese laborers who did backbreaking work to build the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s to the Chinese Americans who serve in our military, to the authors, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and scholars of today," Biden said in a statement.

On May 6, 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was then signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur. This act imposed a strict 10-year moratorium on Chinese laborers immigrating to the U.S. and also prohibited Chinese who had obtained permanent residency from naturalizing as American citizens.

"Our nation was founded on the fundamental idea that we are created equal and deserve to be treated equally. But for 61 years, the Chinese Exclusion Act failed to live up to that promise," the statement said.

The Act was repealed in 1943 during World War II at a time when China was an ally of the U.S. as part of the Allied nations.

"While the White House has not formally apologized for the Chinese Exclusion Act, which Congress enacted in 1882, this recent condemnation marks the first official repudiation by the White House of the act since its enactment 141 years ago," said Haipei Shue, president of the United Chinese Americans, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C.

"This move represents a major stride in the ongoing efforts of the Chinese and Asian American community to achieve equal treatment in the United States," he said.