---
title: "Jessica Bessette Beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, ..."
date: 2025-02-13
source: facebook
type: comment
context: "Archer T. Ships replied to Kevin Nielsen's comment."
fb_link: "https://www.facebook.com/dyi/l/?l=AYPN14Cg2YLmnk2tAF8kKNjhynKLlNx_FDhr74z9EmZ1RrEu4XtNxSf67vTqLu4W6kcHkeLpTIpe0OVFAFrB_lzOelbHqCV5gczhsCnGHZZRQ-S2uDGBFhlVqNLXg_gZAfErTu9th9E4x6Xd_uJhmmf6y1n52dq2L9GxZ3zfvn_c1ZA6tKchReWzj3ghmkdDXbNb3ZSBAic&s=519"
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# Jessica Bessette Beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, ...

*February 13, 2025 — Comment Archer T. Ships replied to Kevin Nielsen's comment.*

Jessica Bessette Beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,  anti-immigrant laws on the books were put there in order to appease left-wing labor unions who didn't like competing with immigrants (who were willing to work harder for less money): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act Environmentalists were also hostile to immigration.  The AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, and the Farm Workers Union were all virulently hostile to immigrants. Bernie Sanders was hostile to immigrants for most of his career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIKDuBWcjyo&t=54s While there was also some hostility to immigrants on the right, much of the right was (and still is) pro-immigrant.  For example, Reagan was very pro-immigrant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R8QxCD6ir8 The Koch brothers are also very pro-immigrant: https://time.com/5491587/koch-brothers-network-immigration-reform/ Beginning in the 1990's with Pete Wilson, some Republicans tried to lure the nativists from the Democratic party to the Republican side by taking a hard stance on immigration.  Unfortunately, they succeeded.  And Trump has continued that strategy. At the same time, most unions were declining in power and numbers.  The only unions that were growing were those that catered to recent immigrants. So around 2000, the party's stance toward immigrants began to switch.  Now most Democrats are loudly pro-immigration and many Republicans are loudly anti-immigrant.  But this was not always the case.  And most of the noise is just lip service-- Obama and Biden deported more people than did Trump during their first terms.  The "kids in cages" photos blamed on Trump were taken during the Obama administration.