May 6, 2022

By Audrey Asistio

Friday marked 140 years since Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, restricting Chinese laborers from coming to the U.S. and preventing Chinese immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens.

Some call the anniversary therapeutic as it offers an opportunity to help others fully understand that dark time in history.

Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay was a front line of discrimination during that time, serving as an immigration port in the early 1900s where Chinese citizens were detained before being allowed into the country or deported.

On Friday, a number of people took part in a candle-lighting and wreath-laying ceremony at the Angel Island immigration station to commemorate the anniversary. (read more)