Identifier
etd-04042007-171659
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Sociology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
This paper further develops a law-centered “political process” model of social movements by analyzing historical changes in American immigration law and the collective behavior of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans during the Chinese Exclusion Era. I present an interactive political process framework that considers not only how the broader political environment enables and constrains a movement, but also how challengers respond by actively reshaping the environment. I revisit the political process model’s core concept of “political opportunity structure” by examining legal rules and institutions, generally, and the indeterminacy of law, specifically. I apply this framework to the Chinese community’s initial use of litigation to fight the exclusion laws and their move towards direct action techniques to exploit the ambiguities of the exclusion laws. In this respect, Chinese immigrants mobilized and created legal resources.
Date
2007
Document Availability at the Time of Submission
Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.
Recommended Citation
Lu, Alexander, "An examination of the Chinese immigrant social movements during the Chinese Exclusion Era" (2007). LSU Master's Theses. 58.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/58
Committee Chair
Pedriana, Nicholas
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_theses.58