White House Defends 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act in Smithsonian Report

A White House Domestic Policy Council report released on July 4 defended the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, arguing that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History presents a biased narrative. The report accused the museum of “ideological capture” and claimed its exhibit “erases our heritage.” It criticized the museum’s didactic titled “Negotiating Inclusion,” quoting it as saying that when “thousands of Chinese journeyed to the American West…their race…troubled white Americans,” leading to the 1882 law.

The document follows an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” and is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to influence the Smithsonian’s historical interpretations, including earlier attempts to remove the director of the National Portrait Gallery. Critics note the act’s racist origins and historic violence against Chinese immigrants, but the White House report frames the law as a legitimate immigration restriction.