Timeline 1763 Eligible for Naturalization

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month For All Employees MEETING IN A BOX Timeline 1763 eligible for naturalization. -Filipinos settling in Louisiana are considered the first Asians recorded in what will become the United States. 1879 -California’s Second Constitution prohibits the employment of Chinese immigrants. 1790 -The first recorded immigrants from India arrive in the U.S. 1882 -The Chinese Exclusion Act suspends Chinese immigration 1820 to the United States for 10 years. -The first recorded immigrants from China arrive in the U.S. 1885 1847 -The first recorded Korean immigrant, Philip Jaisohn arrives -Yung Wing graduates from Yale College, becoming the first in the U.S. as a political exile. He becomes the first Korean Chinese person to graduate from a U.S. college. He goes to be naturalized as a U.S. citizen and the first Korean on to champion higher education for other Chinese by American medical doctor. He returns home in 1896 and establishing the Chinese Educational Mission, which helps becomes a well-known political activist. send other Chinese students to U.S. schools. He also writes a memoir, “My Life in China and America,” where he outlines 1886 how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 impacts his life. -In Yick Wo v. Hopkins, the Supreme Court rules that law with unequal impact on different groups is discriminatory. 1848 -The California Gold Rush leads to the first large-scale 1898 immigration of Chinese to the U.S. -The U.S. assumes control of Hawaii and the Philippines upon winning the Spanish-American War. 1854 -In the United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court -In People v. Hall, the California Supreme Court rules that upholds the 14th Amendment: that all people born in the Chinese people cannot testify against whites accused of U.S. are citizens. murder, just as Native American and Black people could not. 1906 1858 -The San Francisco Board of Education segregates Chinese, -California bans Chinese immigrants. Japanese and Korean schoolchildren. 1865 1907 -The Central Pacific Railroad Company hires the first of -Executive Order 589 prevents Japanese and Korean people 12,000 Chinese workers. from entering the U.S. mainland. 1869 1922 -The first transcontinental railroad is completed. The Central -In Takao Ozawa v. United States, the Supreme Court rules Pacific crew is made up of primarily Chinese immigrants, that Japanese migrants cannot be naturalized. while the Union Pacific crew is made up of primarily Irish immigrants. These sides often clash. The laborers work 1923 as long as 15 hours a day in treacherous conditions to -In United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, the Supreme Court complete the project. rules that Indian migrants cannot be naturalized. -The first Japanese settlers arrive on the U.S. mainland in California. 1870 -The Naturalization Act of 1870 restricts citizenship to whites and Blacks, making Asians ineligible.

1878 -A California circuit court rules that “Mongolians” are not 1847 1865–1869 Messrs. Henry Holt & Co Harper’s Weekly

1924 Southeast Asians to the U.S. -The Immigration Act of 1924 effectively prohibits the immigration of all Asians to the U.S. Mid-1970s -Capitol Hill staffer and member of the Organization of 1942 Chinese Americans, Jeanie Jew first brings up the necessity -Executive Order 9066 results in 120,000 Japanese to designate a month to celebrate Asian and Pacific Americans being sent to internment camps. Islander heritage. 1943 1979 -Congress repeals the Chinese Exclusion Act and grants -The first Asian Pacific American Heritage Week is naturalization rights. celebrated. 1946 1985 -The Luce-Celler Act permits Filipinos and Indians to -Ellison Onizuka becomes the first Asian American — and immigrate and become naturalized. first American of Japanese ancestry — in space. -Democrat Wing Ong becomes the first Chinese-American not born in the U.S. to be elected to state office. He serves 1988 in the Arizona State House of Representatives. -The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 pays surviving Japanese American internees $20,000 each in reparations. 1949 -The U.S grants 5,000 educated Chinese people refugee 1989 status after the Communist takeover of China. -The Amerasian Homecoming Act Allows children of Vietnamese mothers and American servicement to 1955 immigrate to the U.S. -The Vietnam War begins, ultimately sparking resistance from many Asian Americans. The Asian-American 1990 Movement, made up of a number of grassroots -May becomes Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. organizations, goes on to reach its peak in the 1960s and ‘70s. 1992 -Republican Jay Kim of California becomes the first Korean- 1956 American in Congress. -Dalip Singh Saund of California becomes the first Indian American in Congress. 1997 -Democrat Gary Locke of Washington becomes the first 1959 Asian American governor of a mainland state. He goes on -Republican Hiram Fong of Hawaii becomes the first to serve at the U.S. Ambassador to China and the Secretary Chinese American in the Senate. of Commerce under the Obama administration. -Democrat Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, a World War II veteran, becomes the first Japanese American in Congress. 1998 -Actress Lucy Liu, a child of Chinese immigrants, takes on 1964 the role of Ling Woo in the TV series “Ally McBeal.” She goes -Democrat Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawaii becomes on to star in well-known productions like the film “Kill Bill” the first nonwhite woman in Congress. She is a third- and “Charlie’s Angels” She goes on to receive a Hollywood generation Japanese American who grew up in Maui. Walk of Fame star in 2019.

1965 1964 -Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 eliminates the national-origins quota system, which had previously provided immigration visas to 2% of the total number of people of each nationality. 1973 -The Asian Pacific American Advocates organization is founded to advance the rights of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Giannis Papanikos/AP/Shutterstock 1975 1956 -The war in Vietnam ends, leading to a large migration of U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives

1999 2014 -Andrea Jung, of Chinese descent, becomes the first -Filipina supermodel Geena Rocero comes out as nonwhite woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Avon. transgender while delivering a TED Talk in honor of the International Transgender Day of Visibility. She founds 2000 the organization, Gender Proud to raise awareness and -Norman Mineta, of Japanese descent, becomes advance the rights of trans people. Secretary of Commerce. He is the first Asian American -Pakistani girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai becomes Cabinet member. He goes on to become the Secretary of the youngest person to become a Nobel Prize laureate. In Transportation for the Bush administration — the only 2012, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head for attending Democrat Cabinet member. school. 2001 2015 -September 11th attacks lead to the Patriot Act, which is -House of Representatives unanimously passes legislation linked to the unfair detainment of South Asian people in to remove all references to “Orientals” in federal law and the U.S. replace the term with the more accurate and inclusive -Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan, becomes the first “Asian American/Pacific Islanders.” woman Asian American Cabinet member. She serves at the Secretary of Labor under the Bush administration and 2016 goes on to serve as the Secretary of Transportation under -California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is half President Trump. Indian, is elected as a senator. She is the first Indian American to serve in the Senate. 2003 -The Disney film “Moana” premieres and grosses $247 -Far East Movement is the first Asian American band earn million in the U.S. The movie stars a Polynesian princess. a top ten hit on the Mainstream Pop charts in the United To ensure culturally accurate representation, Disney States. enlists the help of anthropologists, linguists, historians, choreographers and cultural practitioners from islands 2007 including Samoa, Tahiti, Mo’orea and Fiji. -Bobby Jindal of Louisiana becomes first Indian American governor. 2018 -The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander alliance -The film, “Crazy Rich Asians” premieres and goes on to is founded to connect Asian American, South Asian, win awards and recognition for its story, costume design, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander LGBTQ organizations acting and representation. and support LGBTQ Asian American and Pacific Islander -Korean pop group BTS reaches No. 1 on the Billboard 200. rights and visibility. The band grows a dedicated fanbase and an interest in K-pop music stateside. 2009 -President Obama appoints three Asian Americans to 2020 Cabinet: Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce; Steven -Awkwafina becomes the first Asian American to win “Best Chu, Energy Secretary; and Eric Shinseki; Veterans Affairs Actress” at the Golden Globes for her role in “The Farewell.” Secretary. 2010 -Speed Skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who is half Japanese, earns eight Olympic medals, becoming the most decorated winter Olympian. -Republican Nikki Haley of South Carolina becomes the first Indian American governor. -Jeremy Lin becomes the first American-born player in the NBA player to be of Taiwanese descent. The NBA signs him out of Harvard into a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors. 2013 -Kevin Tsujihara, of Japanese American heritage, becomes 2016 first nonwhite CEO of a major Hollywood studio, Warner 2014 Steve Jurvetson; CC BY-SA 2.0 Bros. U.S. Congress