Which act restricted Chinese immigration?

• A. Chinese Exclusion Act
• B. Quota System
• C. Gentleman's Agreement
• D. Second Industrial Revolution

Answer: (A)

The act in question is the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This law marked the first time the U.S. federal government restricted immigration based on nationality and race. It specifically barred Chinese laborers from entering the United States for a defined period (initially ten years) and also limited the rights of Chinese people already here by restricting naturalization. It introduced a formal, nationwide restriction tied to a particular ethnic group, rather than a broad quota applied equally to many nationalities.

This distinction matters because the other options describe different things: a quota system set limits on various nationalities, not just Chinese; the Gentlemen’s Agreement was an informal understanding with Japan that limited Japanese emigration rather than a formal law; and the Second Industrial Revolution is a historical era of rapid industrial growth, not a policy or law.