Navigating the Law: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Trials of a Journey Home

Today’s post comes from Andrew Salyer, an archives technician at the National Archives at Philadelphia. The U.S. Congress passed the first Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, though the conditions its passage sought to remediate had been brewing as early as the 1850s. From the 1850s to the 1880s, Chinese workers migrated to the United States and … Continue reading Navigating the Law: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Trials of a Journey Home

USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island

Today's post comes from Allison Finkelstein, a historian with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services History Office and Library. The USCIS History Office and Library recently released a new documentary film project, USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island. From 1892 to 1954, the federal immigration service and its employees processed more than 12 million … Continue reading USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island