--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From this one act, many other laws were…" description: "\"“From this one act, many other laws were passed to make life difficult for the Chinese who were here - even if they'd been born in the United States an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg" --- # From this one act, many other laws were passed to make… ![“From this one act, many other laws were passed to make life difficult for the Chinese who were here - even if they'd been born in the United States and therefore were citizens. In our state of California, Chinese down to a quarter couldn't marry a white person. (Anti-miscegenation laws targeted…” quote by Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg) > ““From this one act, many other laws were passed to make life difficult for the Chinese who were here - even if they'd been born in the United States and therefore were citizens. In our state of California, Chinese down to a quarter couldn't marry a white person. (Anti-miscegenation laws targeted Chinese in twenty-eight states. Here in California, the law was overturned in 1948, but people of Chinese descent in some other states had to wait until 1967 to legally marry a white person.) Chinese - also down to a quarter - couldn't own property in California until 1948. And instead of building a wall, the government built an immigration station on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. Its purpose was to keep all Chinese immigrants out. Despite all that, here we are.”” [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote outlines systemic racism that restricted Chinese Americans’ rights, illustrating how laws targeted minorities. **In simple terms:** Historical laws discriminated against Chinese Americans. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge lingering racial inequities. Themes racism history civil rights Mood reflective serious Type historical political When to use this quote - education - legal reform - activism - community organizing Key Concepts legal discrimination immigration policy racial segregation Questions to Reflect On - What lasting impacts remain today? - How can we prevent similar discrimination? A Different Perspective Legal progress was slow and uneven. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [California 1948](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california-1948-3912588/) [California Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california-chinese-3912587/) [Chinese Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese-born-3912589/) [Chinese Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese-immigrants-1980652/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Miscegenation Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miscegenation-laws-1647746/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) ## Related quotes > [“In the leadup to the election of 1876, swing votes were tied to the issue of Chinese immigration in the same way that immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/in-the-leadup-to-the-election-of-1876-swing-votes-were-tied-to-the/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“Within five years, the effects of the civil rights revolution were undeniable. Between 1964 and 1969, the percentage of African American adults registered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/within-five-years-the-effects-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-were/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [The wisdom of the masses is not always wise. You could put a lot of things to a vote-you could have put anti-miscegenation laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-wisdom-of-the-masses-is-not-always-wise-you-could-put-a-lot-of/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [The miscegenation laws of the South only operate against the legitimate union of the races; they leave the white man free to seduce all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-miscegenation-laws-of-the-south-only-operate-against-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [While I was growing up in Flushing, Queens, we socialized exclusively with other Chinese immigrants. I was forbidden to make contact with nonapproved, non-Chinese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-zhang/while-i-was-growing-up-in-flushing-queens-we-socialized-exclusively/) [Jenny Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-zhang/) > [“In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. No Chinese immigrants were allowed. They said it would be for ten years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hunter/in-1882-congress-passed-the-chinese-exclusion-act-no-chinese/) [Elizabeth Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hunter/) > [Being Chinese immigrants in the United States, it was important for my parents to maintain ties that went back a long time. They led…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chien-chung-pei/being-chinese-immigrants-in-the-united-states-it-was-important-for-my/) [Chien Chung Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chien-chung-pei/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Should Indian adults attempt to use the California courts to bring such killers to justice, they invariably were frustrated because the law of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-stannard/should-indian-adults-attempt-to-use-the-california-courts-to-bring/) [David E. Stannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-stannard/) > [The teacher said define Cultural Diversity and this dude said, 'San Francisco.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-teacher-said-define-cultural-diversity-and-this-dude-said-san/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Demographically, I'm a hippie from San Francisco and I'm not culturally inclined to be sympathetic to states' rights. My cultural heritage is FDR and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/demographically-i-m-a-hippie-from-san-francisco-and-i-m-not/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [“French Polynesia embraces a vast ocean area strewn with faraway outer islands, each with a mystique of its own. The 118 islands and atolls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stanley/french-polynesia-embraces-a-vast-ocean-area-strewn-with-faraway-outer/) [David Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stanley/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) ## More by Lisa See > [“the birth of the twins and what happened to them, although traditional, has transformed me as irreversibly as soaking cloth in a vat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/the-birth-of-the-twins-and-what-happened-to-them-although-traditional/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [When the sun is shining, think of the time it won't be, because even when you're sitting in your house with the doors shut,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-the-sun-is-shining-think-of-the-time-it-won-t-be-because-even/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [Snow Flower was my old same for life. I had a greater and deeper love for her than I could ever feel for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/snow-flower-was-my-old-same-for-life-i-had-a-greater-and-deeper-love/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“When she reaches the ground, she looks from the old woman to me. A moment of confusion. Then recognition. I know her too, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-she-reaches-the-ground-she-looks-from-the-old-woman-to-me-a/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“huigan—causes us to turn inward and reflect as the liquor coats our tongues, shimmers down our throats, and then rises again as fragrance. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/huigan-causes-us-to-turn-inward-and-reflect-as-the-liquor-coats-our/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“...maybe writing doesn't require sacrifice. Maybe it's a gift to experience emotions through our brushes, ink, and paper. I wrote out sorrow, fear, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/maybe-writing-doesn-t-require-sacrifice-maybe-it-s-a-gift-to/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“You can always count on people to crowded your party when you’re in glory but you should never dream of people sending you charcoal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/you-can-always-count-on-people-to-crowded-your-party-when-you-re-in/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [Let those who believe, believe. Let those who doubt, doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/let-those-who-believe-believe-let-those-who-doubt-doubt/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [It used to happen in villages and towns in China that they would have - I guess you'd call them beauty contests - where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/it-used-to-happen-in-villages-and-towns-in-china-that-they-would-have/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“So many mistakes. So many errors. So much tragedy as a result. In that moment I understood that the cruelest words in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/so-many-mistakes-so-many-errors-so-much-tragedy-as-a-result-in-that/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“Yes, she had held her family together, but at what cost to herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/yes-she-had-held-her-family-together-but-at-what-cost-to-herself/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“When in the world did anyone die from a dream?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-in-the-world-did-anyone-die-from-a-dream/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [But, you know, I just did a big trip in the spring to Vietnam and Cambodia and Thailand, and that's when I bought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/but-you-know-i-just-did-a-big-trip-in-the-spring-to-vietnam-and/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“Maybe that's what we're all like with our mothers. They seem ordinary until one day they're extraordinary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/maybe-that-s-what-we-re-all-like-with-our-mothers-they-seem-ordinary/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [Model communes are the ones where the leaders lie the best and the biggest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/model-communes-are-the-ones-where-the-leaders-lie-the-best-and-the/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) [Explore all 178 Lisa See quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) [Deanna L. Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-l-lawlis/) > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“From this one act, many other laws were passed to make life difficult for the Chinese who were here - even if they'd been born in the United States and therefore were citizens. In our state of California, Chinese down to a quarter couldn't marry a white person. (Anti-miscegenation laws targeted Chinese in twenty-eight states. Here in California, the law was overturned in 1948, but people of Chinese descent in some other states had to wait until 1967 to legally marry a white person.) Chinese - also down to a quarter - couldn't own property in California until 1948. And instead of building a wall, the government built an immigration station on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. Its purpose was to keep all Chinese immigrants out. Despite all that, here we are.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa See" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-passed-to-make-life-difficult/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-passed-to-make-life-difficult/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/lisa-see-2200_life_from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-p_2058121.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“From this one act, many other laws were passed to make life difficult for the Chinese who were here - even…” — Lisa See", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lisa See", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“From this one act, many other...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-passed-to-make-life-difficult/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/from-this-one-act-many-other-laws-were-passed-to-make-life-difficult/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```