On June 19, 2012, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by Congresswoman Judy Chu that formally expresses the regret of the House of Representatives for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and other legislation that discriminated against people of Chinese origin in the United States.
In the short video below, Congresswoman Judy Chu explains why she thinks it is important to have more accurate educational curricula about the Chinese Exclusion Act.
“…It is only by educating ourselves about this dark period in American history that we can ensure that prejudice and discimination that once stained our nation is never repeated. Let’s make sure that there are educational materials in our classrooms so that all Americans can learn about what happened.” – Congresswoman Judy Chu
About Congresswoman Judy Chu
Judy Chu was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2009, becoming the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in history. She represents the 27th Congressional District, which includes Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley of southern California. Representative Chu currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, where she is a member of the Subcommittees on Intellectual Property and the Internet as well as Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations. She also serves on the House Small Business Committee, which has oversight of the Small Business Administration. Rep. Chu is the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access. She is also a member of the Subcommittees on Contracting and Workforce as well as the Subcommittee on Health and Technology. In 2011, Chu was elected Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, which advocates for the needs and concerns of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community across the nation. Chu founded and co-chairs the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus, which advocates for the copyright protections of those in the creative industries, such as music, film and visual arts. She also serves in leadership of the House Democratic Caucus as a Member of the Steering and Policy Committee. Learn more about this resolution and Congresswoman Chu on her website chu.house.gov.
Fill out and submit the form below if you’re interested in receiving a copy of the free educational resources and/or hosting a community screening of THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT PBS documentary by Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu
