Asiatic Exclusion League facts for kids
| Predecessor | Japanese and Korean Exclusion League (1905–1907) |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 14, 1905 1907 (Canada) |
| Founder | Patrick Henry McCarthy, Andrew Furuseth, Walter McCarthy et al. |
| Purpose | Advocate for the prevention of immigration of people of Asian origin to the United States and Canada |
The Asiatic Exclusion League (AEL) was an organization formed in the early 1900s. It was active in the United States and Canada. Its main goal was to stop people from Asia from moving to these countries.
Contents
The League in the United States
In May 1905, a large meeting took place in San Francisco, California. This meeting started an organization called the Japanese and Korean Exclusion League. Many labor leaders and European immigrants attended. Key figures included Patrick Henry McCarthy and Andrew Furuseth.
Newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about the meeting. They showed pictures of workers who felt angry. These workers believed that immigrants were stopping them from owning homes. They also felt immigrants were preventing them from achieving a middle-class life.
In December 1907, the group changed its name. It became the Asiatic Exclusion League. This new name showed they wanted to exclude people from India and China too. The AEL believed in a "white man's country." They wanted to stop Asian workers from immigrating. The League opened branches all along the Pacific Coast of North America. This helped them work across borders.
The League quickly started trying to stop more Asian people from settling on the West Coast. They used strong methods and actions against Asian people. They wanted to make sure the Chinese Exclusion Act was strictly followed. They also wanted to expand this law to include other Asian immigrants. Their main goals were to spread false information against Asian people. They also wanted to influence laws to limit immigration. Because of their efforts, the Attorney General of California, Ulysses S. Webb, worked harder to enforce laws. These laws stopped Asian people from owning property.
Impact on Education
The AEL started a campaign against the San Francisco Board of Education. They wanted Japanese and Korean students to be kept out of public schools. In October 1906, the San Francisco school board decided. All Japanese and Korean students had to go to the segregated Oriental School. This school had been set up for Chinese students in 1884.
Many Japanese Americans challenged this school board rule. They said it went against the Treaty of 1894. This treaty promised equal rights for Japanese Americans. Even though the treaty did not mention education, it was still important. As a result, Japanese Americans won the right to attend San Francisco public schools. However, as part of the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907, the Japanese government agreed to stop giving passports to Japanese laborers.
Government Actions
The AEL actively pressured the United States Congress. In March 1907, Congress changed existing immigration laws. This allowed President Theodore Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 589. This order stopped Japanese or Korean laborers from moving to the mainland United States. They could not come from Mexico, Canada, or Hawaii. This order, along with the Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan, stopped many Japanese laborers from immigrating. By 1908, many organizations, including labor unions, were connected to the AEL.
The League grew by getting new members. They also made political candidates promise to support exclusion laws. They tried to unite all western states. Their goal was to force Congress to agree to their demands. The AEL presented five main points to Congress:
- Extend the Chinese Exclusion Laws to include Japanese and Koreans.
- Members should promise not to hire or buy from Japanese people or businesses.
- Approve the School Board's policy to separate Japanese and white children.
- Start a campaign to tell the President and Congress about this "menace."
- Ask all labor and community groups in California to give money to their cause.
On May 19, 1913, Governor Hiram Johnson signed the Alien Land Law of 1913. These laws limited how much land "aliens ineligible to citizenship" could lease. More changes to these laws came in 1919 and 1920. The 1920 change was the strictest. It aimed to close all ways for Asian people to own land. This law passed easily and started on December 9, 1920.
The League in Canada
A similar group with the same name started in Vancouver, British Columbia. It began on August 12, 1907. It was supported by the Trades and Labour Council. Its goal was "to keep Oriental immigrants out of British Columbia."
On September 7, riots broke out in Vancouver. League members attacked Chinatown. This happened after they heard angry speeches at Vancouver City Hall. About 4,000 people were shouting racist slogans. By the time the riot reached City Hall, there were 8,000 people. The crowd marched into Chinatown. They damaged property, causing thousands of dollars in losses. The mob then went through Japantown. There, residents fought back with clubs and bottles. The organization grew quickly after these riots. However, its numbers started to drop the next year.
The AEL appeared again in the early 1920s. This time, they claimed 40,000 members in the province. This was before the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 was passed. This act almost completely stopped Chinese immigration to Canada.
In August 1921, the AEL held a meeting. Church leaders, business people, and World War I veterans attended. Representatives from six trade unions and the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council were also there. At this meeting, the League called for an end to all "Oriental" immigration. This led to a campaign that resulted in the Oriental Exclusion Act of 1923.
Another important result of the AEL's actions was the first drug law in Canada. The Minister of Labour, William Lyon Mackenzie King, investigated the 1907 Vancouver riots. He also looked into claims for money from victims. One claim came from opium makers. This led King to investigate the local drug situation. Soon after, a federal law was passed. It stopped the making, selling, and importing of opium for non-medical reasons.
Both Asiatic Exclusion Leagues were part of a larger problem. This was white racism against Asian people in Canada and the United States. This racism lasted from the 1800s onward. It led to things like the head tax and other immigration rules. These rules were designed to keep Asian people out of Canada. It also led to Japanese American internment and Japanese Canadian internment during World War II.
