Scott Act (1888)

The Scott Act (English: Scott - law ) was a 1888 law passed U.S. federal law that stipulated that Chinese migrants, even if they were entered legally before in the United States, denied entry not return after leaving the American territory.

Background and History

The law supplemented the provisions of the 1880 Chinese Exclusion Acts adopted which formed the legal basis for the Chinese immigrants who enter the United States could be denied. With the Scott Act, the American borders closed and for those Chinese who had immigrated before the entry into force of this law, as soon as they left the United States to visit at about China, they were not allowed to enter the country again. Until entry into force of the regulation, the authorities had issued on request so-called exit visa, the Chinese emigrants allowed a smooth re-entry into the United States. This possibility was accounted for now.

The Scott Act, an initiative of the deputies William Lawrence Scott, was signed on October 1, 1888 by U.S. President Cleveland, after an attempt by the Foreign Ministry about the foreclosure of the U.S. with China bilaterally, ie in the way of an international agreement ( Bayard to communicate - Zhang Treaty ), had proven to be problematic.

While the Chinese government did not recognize the law and its adoption in California, the U.S. state with the highest Chinese population, from the European-born population was celebrated with mass demonstrations. The number of Chinese-American immigrants, who were at that time outside the U.S. borders, was about 20,000. They could not re-enter.

Were affected by the law, thousands of Chinese-American fishermen who could not leave their fishing boats, the 3- mile zone off the U.S. West Coast and had to give up as a result, their trade.