Both Prof Wu and Ms Truong cited the 1875 Page Act, one of the earliest pieces of federal law restricting immigration to the US. On paper, the legislation barred the entry of any woman from China, Japan "or any Oriental country" for "lewd and immoral purposes", including prostitution.In reality, the law blocked virtually all immigration from Asian women, who were collectively presumed to be sex workers or prostitutes.This racist and sexist stereotype that they "were bringing their immorality to the US", Ms Truong explains, has lingered.

The message is that these men are innocent, except for that one bad day

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Let him be a fugitive slave in a strange land—a land given up to be the hunting-ground for slaveholders—whose inhabitants are legalized kidnappers—where he is every moment subjected to the terrible liability of being seized uponby his fellow-men, as the hideous crocodile seizes upon his prey!—I say, let him place himself in my situation—without home or friends—without money or credit—wanting shelter, and no one to give it—wanting bread, and no money to buy it,—and at the same time let him feel that he is pursued by merciless men-hunters, and in total darkness as to what to do,where to go, or where to stay,—perfectly helpless both as to the means of defence and means of escape,—in the midst of plenty, yet suffering the terrible gnawings of hunger,—in the midst of houses, yet having no home,—among fellow-men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts, whose greediness to swallow up the trembling and half-famished fugitive is only equalled by that with which the monsters of the deep swallow up the helpless fish upon which they subsist,—I say, let him be placed in this most trying situation,—the situation in which I was placed,—then, and not till then, will he fully appreciate the hardships of, and know how to sympathize with, the toil-worn and whip-scarred fugitive slave.