Final answer:
The U.S. government curtailed Chinese immigration in the late 1800s with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first law barring immigration based on race, which was extended with subsequent amendments and resulted in reduced Chinese immigration and increased discrimination against Asian Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. government addressed the issue of Chinese immigration during the late 1800s primarily through the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This legislation represented a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy as it was the first law to explicitly bar a group of immigrants based on their race or ethnicity. The act prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States, although it allowed some exceptions for wealthy Chinese investors.
The law was a result of widespread anti-Chinese sentiment, where Chinese immigrants were seen as a threat to American workers and were subject to discrimination and violence. Subsequent amendments to the law extended the prohibition and its effects, maintaining a racially discriminatory immigration policy until its eventual repeal in the 1940s during World War II when America's alliance with China made the policy untenable.
Despite the hardships, such as special taxes imposed during the Gold Rush and forced relocations, Chinese immigrants continued to arrive in the United States seeking better prospects. However, owing to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese immigration significantly decreased, creating an atmosphere of intolerance towards Asian Americans. Laws such as the Geary Act and state policies expanded this discrimination to other Asian groups, further entrenching these exclusionary practices in U.S. law and society.