Social Darwinism, economic instability, and an increase of Chinese population contributed to the Chinese immigration act. When the Chinese first came to the US, they were a minor concern being only 25,000 in 1852. However, as depicted by the timeline in 1880 there were approximately 106,000 Chinese in America. By 1880 many had moved into urban areas where they performed the most difficult tasks. Americans viewed the Chinese immigrants in a negative light mocking their accent, their lack of family and taking over of jobs as depicted in the play the "Chinese Must Go", wherein Ah coy a Chinese immigrant in the play is shown smoking an opium pipe, bragging, "By and by white man cathee no money; Chinaman catchee heap money; Chinaman workee cheap, plenty work; white man workee dear, no work-sabee?" Ah coy's character is portrayed as a rich Chinese man with a poor renter who saw the white men as idiots for keeping wives and not managing with whatever pay they got instead aiming for the good work. This obvious scorn shown in entertainment industry shows how the Chinese were negatively perceived and stereotyped against. The frightening part is that the Chinese exclusion act was not repealed until 1943. Even then, there were still harsh regulations on immigration that didn't ease until 1990. It shows that though America may advertise itself as the land of opportunity and open to all, it was not actually as such until recently.
Grimm, Henry. "The Chinese Must Go." San Francisco, 1879.