Contrary to our notions of freedom. the Alien Act and the Alien Enemies Act gave the President the power to imprison or deport aliens suspected of activities posing a threat to the national government or the national security. Undermining our belief in openness. the Sedition Act declared that any treasonable activity. including the publication of "any false. scandalous and malicious writing." was a high misdemeanor. punishable by imprisonment. Later. almost predictably. when the economy in this country took a downturn in the 1880s. the Asian community became the target of politicians looking for someone to blame. In 1882. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to keep out all people of Chinese origin. During World War II. Japanese Americans were the wellknown target of the governments submission to fear. apprehension. and greed.
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Chinese Exclusion