The Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act on the Economic Development of the Western U.S

Joe Long, Carlo Medici, Nancy Qian and Marco Tabellini

No 19541, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: This paper investigates the economic consequences of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned immigration from China. The Act reduced the number of Chinese workers of all skill levels living in the United States. It also reduced the labor supply and the quality of jobs held by white and U.S.-born workers, the intended beneficiaries of the Act, and reduced manufacturing output. The results suggest that the Chinese Exclusion Act slowed economic growth in western states until at least 1940.

JEL-codes: J15 J21 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-09
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