Final answer:
Economic competition, cultural prejudices, and xenophobia led some Americans to oppose Chinese immigration in the late nineteenth century, culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Legally sanctioned discrimination continued with the Geary Act and other laws extending these restrictions and enhancing racial intolerance.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the late nineteenth century, there was significant opposition to Chinese immigration in the United States, primarily due to economic and racial factors. The passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 marked the culmination of these sentiments, making it the first law in US history to explicitly ban a group of immigrants based on race or ethnicity. This Act was largely influenced by the perception among American workers that Chinese laborers accepted lower wages, which in turn threatened the job security and wage levels of American laborers.
Furthermore, there were cultural prejudices and a fear of the 'Other' that contributed to this resistance. The labeling of Chinese individuals as 'imports' dehumanized them and suggested a lack of agency, reinforcing the view that Chinese migration was not voluntary but rather orchestrated by business interests to undermine American labor. Anti-Chinese activists capitalized on the nation's xenophobic sentiment, creating a narrative that portrayed Chinese immigrants as a threat to the job market and social order.
This animosity toward Chinese immigrants extended beyond economic concerns. Legal measures such as the Geary Act and various state laws further institutionalized discrimination, banning land ownership by Asians and implementing segregation in schools. The exclusion acts and associated legislation reflected broader trends of racial intolerance and the growing opinion that America should be preserved for 'real Americans'—a sentiment that excluded not only Chinese but eventually all Asian immigrants well into the 20th century.