Final answer:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1898 that children of Chinese immigrants are entitled to U.S. citizenship under the 14th Amendment, as established in the landmark case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1898, the United States Supreme Court ruled that children of Chinese immigrants were entitled to citizenship under the 14th Amendment, specifically in the case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark. This ruling underscored the concept of jus soli, which grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil regardless of their parents' nationality. The decision confirmed that the government cannot deny citizenship to anyone born within the United States, thus protecting the rights of children born to Chinese immigrants, among others.
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred the immigration of Chinese laborers, did not impede the right to citizenship for those of Chinese descent born in the United States. Instead, the 14th Amendment's definition of citizenship as "anyone born or naturalized in the United States" prevailed, establishing due process and equal protection under the law for these individuals.