Exclusion film previewed in Shanghai

A preview of a new historical documentary film The Chinese Exclusion Act was screened on Thursday for the first time outside the United States at the campus of New York University Shanghai.

Directed by US filmmakers Ric Burns and Yu Li-Shin, the documentary explores the Chinese Exclusion Act, a US law passed in 1882 that restricted Chinese immigration and prevented Chinese from becoming naturalized US citizens. The law was passed after an influx of Chinese laborers, seen by many in the US as a threat to their livelihoods. The Immigration and Nationality Act, or Hart-Celler Act, finally abolished immigration quotas based on ethnicity or race in 1965.

The film features several prominent Chinese who during that time worked to oppose the act. The film is scheduled for release in May. "This documentary delves deeply into a painful and important episode in the US and sheds light on its relations with China," said Constance Bruce, director of External and Academic Events, NYU Shanghai.