1882 Foundation

The 1882 Foundation was created to bring public awareness of the history of the Chinese Exclusion Laws that were first enacted in 1882. They prohibited Chinese from immigrating to the United States and barred them from citizenship. In 1943, Congress rescinded the laws for political military reasons. There was no acknowledgment of six decades of federally sanctioned violations of civil rights, racial discriminations or violent attacks to generations Chinese in America, until October 2016, where this foundation succeeded in its original goal in achieving an apology from Congress for the passing of these laws. The 1882 Foundation continues to broaden public understanding of the laws, their history and relevance today. It does this through programs and supporting projects that preserve and interpret the history of Chinese in America about their contributions in forming and enriching the American nation.