Why did congress pass the Chinese exclusion act?

to prevent all members of a specific ethnic or national group from immigrating to the United States.

Explanation:

Building on the earlier Page Act of 1875 which banned Chinese women from immigrating to the United States, the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first, and remains the only law to have been implemented, to prevent all members of a specific ethnic or national group from immigrating to the United States.

Nicknames: Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Effective: May 6, 1882

Enacted by: the 47th United States Congress