Year    Episode/Event

1850            
2 Chinese men were listed in the first U.S. census. They were house servants.

1859            
A newspaper, The Los Angeles Star, reported the arrival of the first Chinese woman in Los Angeles.

1860            
There were 4 Chinese-owned laundries in Los Angeles.

1865            
Thousands of Chinese from the Guangdong Province were recruited by Central Pacific Railroad to work on the western portion of transcontinental railroad.

1871            
Chinese Massacre of Los Angeles. 19 Chinese were dead.

1882            
The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed by U.S. Congress. Its major provision included suspension of further immigration of Chinese laborers. Laborers already in the U.S. could not bring their wives and children. All Chinese residents were denied naturalization.

1890            
Way Leung Kung Saw, the predecessor of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, was formed to protect the welfare of the Chinese in Los Angeles.

1898            
Los Angeles’ first Chinese newspaper, Wah Mei Sun Po, was founded by Ng Poon Chew,a Presbyterian minister.

1904            
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen visited Los Angeles to seek support for the revolution of China.

1914            
Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) was established to protect and defend the civil rights of Chinese Americans

1943            
Madame Chiang Kai-Shek spoke to the assembled members of U.S. Congress. Congress repealed Chinese Exclusion Act and established an annual quota of 105 Chinese immigrants, which was based on 1/6 of 1% of the number of Chinese in the U.S. in 1920.

1959            
Judge Delbert Wong became the first Chinese American to be appointed as a judge of any court in the continental United States.

1962            
The first Chinese American bank, Cathay Bank, was established in Southern California.

1965            
Congress passed Immigration and Naturalization Act. Many Chinese immigrants came.

1974            
March Fong Eu was elected California Secretary of State.

1985            
ShienBiau (S.B.) Woo was elected Lieutenant Governor of Delaware – the historic first

1987            
Judge Ronald S. W. Lew became the first Chinese American Federal District Judge in the continental United States.

1996            
Gary Locke was elected governor of Washington - the first Asian American governor on the Mainland.

1999            
David Wu became the first Chinese American Congressman (Oregon).

2001            
Elaine Chao became the first Chinese and Asian Woman in the U.S. President’s Cabinet.