"It was clear that the special interest groups in California really wanted the Chinese to be shut out of the country, because that was where the racial tension was the greatest"

This quote by Iris Chang speaks to the racial tension that existed in California during the late 19th century. At the time, special interest groups in California were pushing for the exemption of Chinese immigrants from the nation. This was because of the worry that the Chinese would take away jobs from white Americans and lead to a reduction in salaries. The racial tension was so excellent that these special interest groups wanted to go to severe lengths to keep the Chinese out of the nation. This quote acts as a tip of the racism and xenophobia that existed in the United States during this time period and the lengths that people wanted to go to in order to maintain their power and advantage.