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cover of episode The 'Chinese Exclusion Era' shows how Trump's mass deportation plan could unfold

The 'Chinese Exclusion Era' shows how Trump's mass deportation plan could unfold

2024/12/1
logo of podcast Consider This from NPR

Consider This from NPR

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Nancy Chen
主持人
专注于电动车和能源领域的播客主持人和内容创作者。
Topics
主持人概述了特朗普计划驱逐数百万非法移民的计划,并指出其规模之大前所未有,同时提及美国的历史经验可以为我们提供参考。 Nancy Chen,西北大学经济学家,介绍了她对排华法案经济影响的研究,指出这项研究表明,驱逐移民并非总能带来经济效益,反而可能造成意想不到的负面后果。她详细阐述了排华法案的背景、实施过程以及对美国西部经济的长期影响,特别强调了该法案导致的不仅是华人劳动力供应的减少,也导致了白人工人数量的减少,并非简单的赢家通吃局面。她还分析了华人劳工的组织性和对当地经济的贡献,以及华人离开后对城镇经济活力的冲击。 Erin Garcia,加州历史学会展览总监,介绍了一本记录19世纪末20世纪初居住在加利福尼亚州塞拉县的华人信息的旧账簿,这本账簿记录了华人的姓名、职业、年龄、身高以及一些身份特征,反映了当时政府对华人的监控和歧视,以及许多华人被迫离开美国的事实。 研究表明,《排华法案》对美国西部经济增长造成了负面影响,直到1940年之后才有所缓解。这项研究强调了在制定大规模移民政策时,需要仔细考虑被驱逐移民的职业和对经济的影响,避免重蹈排华法案的覆辙。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did the Central Pacific Railroad recruit Chinese laborers?

They couldn't find enough white workers due to the Civil War.

What was the economic impact of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?

It fueled a railroad investment and land speculation bubble, leading to the first Great Depression.

How did anti-Chinese sentiment gain momentum in the 1870s?

A recession hit Western states harder, leading to blame on Chinese immigrants for job losses.

What were some of the legal restrictions placed on Chinese immigrants during the Chinese Exclusion Era?

They were banned from owning farmland, accessing fishing grounds, and entering interracial marriages.

What was the economic impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act on the Western U.S.?

It reduced economic growth and led to a decline in white male labor supply by 28%.

Why did white workers also leave areas vacated by Chinese immigrants?

The loss of Chinese-run services like bars and hotels made towns less attractive.

What does Nancy Chen's research suggest about the consequences of wide-sweeping immigration policies?

They can have unintended negative economic impacts on both immigrants and native-born workers.

Shownotes Transcript

Donald Trump promises to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants once he returns to the White House. If he follows through, the scale of it would be unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes.Many supporters of Trump's mass deportation agenda say expelling unauthorized immigrants will help the US economy. But a look back at America's first major immigration crackdown suggests otherwise.On this episode, host Adrian Ma) and his colleagues from NPR's The Indicator) podcast look at that immigration crackdown during the 'Chinese Exclusion Era,' and the economic impact it had on the West. For a deeper dive into the economic history of the Chinese Exclusion Era, check out the latest installments of Planet Money's newsletter. In Part One), NPR's Greg Rosalsky covers the economic circumstances that led to a populist anti-Chinese movement. In Part Two), he explains the ways (both legal and extralegal) that movement succeeded in driving Chinese immigrants away from the U.S. and the economic fallout that ensued.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org).Email us at [email protected]).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)