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The Connecticut State Library has many resources on this topic.
See also the page on historic immigration under Demographic Groups and Previous Topics Guide.
These are only a few examples of our numerous resources.
At America's Gates by
LibGuide: "With the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Chinese laborers became the first group in American history to be excluded from the United States on the basis of their race and class. This landmark law changed the course of U.S. immigration history, but we know little about its consequences for the Chinese in America or for the United States as a nation of immigrants. At America's Gates is the first book devoted entirely to both Chinese immigrants and the American immigration officials who sought to keep them out. Erika Lee explores how Chinese exclusion laws not only transformed Chinese American lives, immigration patterns, identities, and families but also recast the United States into a "gatekeeping nation." Immigrant identification, border enforcement, surveillance, and deportation policies were extended far beyond any controls that had existed in the United States before. Drawing on a rich trove of historical sources--including recently released immigration records, oral histories, interviews, and letters--Lee brings alive the forgotten journeys, secrets, hardships, and triumphs of Chinese immigrants. Her timely book exposes the legacy of Chinese exclusion in current American immigration control and race relations."
The Challenge of the American Dream: The Chinese in the United States
Chinese American Voices by
LibGuide: "Described by others as quaint and exotic, or as depraved and threatening, and, more recently, as successful and exemplary, the Chinese in America have rarely been asked to describe themselves in their own words. This superb anthology, a diverse and illuminating collection of primary documents and stories by Chinese Americans, provides an intimate and textured history of the Chinese in America from their arrival during the California Gold Rush to the present. Among the documents are letters, speeches, testimonies, oral histories, personal memoirs, poems, essays, and folksongs; many have never been published before or have been translated into English for the first time. They bring to life the diverse voices of immigrants and American-born; laborers, merchants, and professionals; ministers and students; housewives and prostitutes; and community leaders and activists. Together, they provide insight into immigration, work, family and social life, and the longstanding fight for equality and inclusion. Featuring photographs and extensive introductions to the documents written by three leading Chinese American scholars, this compelling volume offers a panoramic perspective on the Chinese American experience and opens new vistas on American social, cultural, and political history."
A Different Mirror by
Lib Guides: "Describes the immigrant experiences of Japanese, African, Irish, and Jewish Americans, exposing the abuses suffered by Native Americans, slaves, and workers who built the country."
Below are some resources that might be helpful in researching the topics of Chinese immigration to the U.S.; Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the 1920 revision; and/or the Rise of Yellow Power Movement.
Legal
美国所藏容闳文献初编 = Collection of Yung Wing's paper in the U.S. Meiguo suo cang Rong Hong wen xian chu bian = Collection of Yung Wing's paper in the U.S. by Databases and Articles
Additional resources:
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