Nativist Walls Slides
Nativist Walls
Legal & Social Mechanisms of Exclusion in the Gilded Age
Warm-up: The "Other"
Define the Term
Nativism: A policy or belief that protects the interests of "native-born" inhabitants against those of immigrants.
Cartoon Analysis
Look at the provided cartoon "The Magic Washer" or "The Chinese Question."
- What symbols represent the United States?
- How is the immigrant portrayed?
- What is the "threat" being implied?
Teacher: Display the "Chinese Exclusion" Cartoon Here
(Recommended: "The Chinese Question" by Thomas Nast, 1871)
The Exclusion Era
Embedded media
Segment Focus: Chinese Immigration & Exclusion (5:30 - 7:45)
Watch for:
1
How did "scientific racism" justify exclusion?
2
The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act—what was unique about it?
3
The mention of Yick Wo and Wong Kim Ark.
The Legal Battleground
Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886)
San Francisco passed a law requiring laundry permits for wooden buildings. They gave permits to white owners but denied almost all 200+ Chinese applicants.
US v. Wong Kim Ark (1898)
Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco to Chinese parents. After a trip abroad, he was denied re-entry because officials claimed he wasn't a citizen.
"The 14th Amendment is not confined to the protection of citizens." — Justice T. Stanley Matthews
Supreme Court Case Study
Phase 1: Research (10m)
- Read your assigned case brief.
- Identify the Constitutional question.
- Note the Court's reasoning.
Phase 2: Synthesis (10m)
- What was the precedent set?
- How did this impact Nativist laws?
- Prepare your 2-minute pitch.
20 MINUTES
Collaborate. Analyze. Present.
Closing Discussion
"How do these Gilded Age legal victories continue to shape citizenship and civil rights in America today?"
14th Amendment
Birthright Citizenship
Equal Protection
Discrimination in Law
Modern Precedent
Legal Status vs Rights
Gilded Age Justice Activity
Gilded Justice
Supreme Court Case Study: Nativism & The Law
Name:
Date:
Objective: Evaluate how legal challenges by Chinese immigrants during the Gilded Age established foundational rights regarding equal protection and birthright citizenship.
1
Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886)
The Context
A San Francisco ordinance required laundry owners in wooden buildings to have a permit. Over 200 Chinese laundry owners were denied permits, while 79 out of 80 white laundry owners were granted them.
The Argument: Why was this a violation of the 14th Amendment?
The Ruling: What did the Supreme Court decide about "equal protection"?
2
US v. Wong Kim Ark (1898)
The Context
Wong Kim Ark was born in the U.S. but his parents were Chinese subjects. The government claimed he was not a citizen and refused him re-entry after a trip abroad under the Chinese Exclusion Act.
The Argument: What does "jurisdiction" mean in the 14th Amendment?
The Ruling: How did this establish "Birthright Citizenship"?
Synthesis & Significance
How did these cases challenge the social mechanisms of Nativism (the idea that only certain people can be "true" Americans)?
Why are these Gilded Age cases still cited in modern debates over immigration and civil rights?
Group Analysis
Evidence Cited
Modern Connection
