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Asian Americans and the Law

Anti-Asian Violence and Expulsions

This section introduces some early responses to the first major Asian presence in the United States, the Chinese in California, including violence and expulsions.

Public violence directed at Chinese and Chinese communities was all too common in the late 1800s. This section also examines the handling of claims in a civil suit arising from a massacre in Los Angeles in 1871.

Additional short readings set out the context of violence against Asians in other West Coast commuities during this period.