A Legal History of Chinese-Americans

REPORTS TO U.S. CONGRESS

  1. Senate Report 689, submitted to Congress February 1877 [A Legal History of Asian American (LHA), 1790-1990, by Hyung-chan Kim, at 58]. The report followed hearings held in San Francisco in which some 130 witnesses testified both for and against Chinese immigration. It recommended that the president negotiate with China to modify existing treaties and that Congress pass laws to restrict Asian immigration to the U.S. [LHA at 59].(ES)

  2. Memorial to Congress, December 8, 1877. The Chinese Six Companies composed this 53 page "Memorial" to the U.S. Congress in response to recommendations made in Senate Report 689. Chinese community leaders argued that they had been denied the opportunity to present their views on the question of Chinese immigration during hearings held by a committee of the State of California's Senate [LHA at 59]. The "Memorial" urged Congress to take action on behalf of Chinese in the U.S. "in justice and fairness" [LHA at 59] (ES).


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