chinese exclusion act

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Chinese Exclusion Act \Chinese Exclusion Act\
   Any of several acts forbidding the immigration of Chinese
   laborers into the United States, originally from 1882 to 1892
   by act of May 6, 1882, then from 1892 to 1902 by act May 5,
   1892. By act of April 29, 1902, all existing legislation on
   the subject was re["e]nacted and continued, and made
   applicable to the insular possessions of the United States.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]