What law restricted Chinese immigration to the United States?

The Chinese Exclusion Act is historically significant as it was the first law in United States history to limit immigration based specifically on nationality. Enacted in 1882, this law prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years, later extending the ban indefinitely. The motivations behind the Act were rooted in widespread anti-Chinese sentiment and economic competition, as many Americans feared that Chinese immigrants were taking jobs and driving down wages. The legislation reflected the broader context of nativism and racial prejudice that characterized American immigration policies at the time.

In contrast, the other legislative acts listed do not specifically target Chinese immigration. The Immigration Act of 1924 and the National Origins Act aimed to restrict overall immigration through quotas based on national origins, which had a broader scope and did not focus specifically on any one group. The Homestead Act, on the other hand, encouraged westward expansion but was not a restrictive immigration law. Hence, the Chinese Exclusion Act is rightly identified as the legislation that primarily restricted Chinese immigration.