A Landmark Case for Chinese Immigrants in the U.S.

What was the main reason Chinese men started immigrating to the United States in the 1840s?

• In search of work

• To escape political persecution

• To join family members

• To pursue education

Which law required 500 feet of air for every resident of every living space?

• Cubic Air Ordinance

• Queue Ordinance

• Pigtail Law

• Immigration Act

What was the purpose of the Queue Ordinance according to the authorities?

• To maintain discipline and cleanliness

• To promote cultural assimilation

• To improve public health

• To reduce crime rates

Why was the Queue Ordinance particularly harsh for Chinese men?

• It required them to cut their traditional long braided hair

• It imposed heavy fines

• It restricted their movement

• It banned their cultural practices

What was the outcome of Ho Ah Kow's lawsuit against Sheriff Nunan?

• The Queue Ordinance was struck down

• Ho Ah Kow was imprisoned

• The Cubic Air Ordinance was upheld

• The fine was increased

Which amendment was cited in the ruling that struck down the Queue Ordinance?

• Fourteenth Amendment

• First Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Tenth Amendment

What did Justice Stephen J. Field's ruling affirm for Chinese immigrants?

• The power of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

• The right to vote

• The right to free speech

• The right to own property

In the 1840s, where did most Chinese immigrants enter the U.S.?

• New York

• San Francisco

• Baltimore

• San Antonio

Read the following sentences from the text.

“The Queue Ordinance required that prisoners in the city’s jail have their hair cut to a length of one inch. For most American men and European immigrants, it was little more than a free trip to the barber. But Chinese men wore their hair long and braided, in a style known as a queue (pronounced and sometimes spelled cue). Originally, this hairstyle had been required as a sign of loyalty and obedience to the Qing Dynasty in China. Over time it had become an accepted custom. For a Chinese man to lose his queue would mean disgrace and anguish, as Ho Ah Kow told Sheriff Matthew Nunan when he was arrested.”

What conclusion can you draw from this evidence?

• A one-inch haircut did not mean the same thing for American and European men as it did for Chinese men.

• The Queue Ordinance did not target Chinese men because all men were required to have a one inch length haircut.

• The Queue Ordinance only made jails more crowded because Chinese men wanted to get free haircuts.

• Members of China’s Qing Dynasty were living in San Francisco at the time and were directly targeted by the law.

Ho Ah Kow sued the sheriff for cutting his hair and won. What did his victory mean for noncitizens living in the U.S.?

• The victory meant that only noncitizens who had enough money to hire two lawyers could win a case against a sheriff.

• The victory did not change much for noncitizens living in the U.S. because only Ho Ah Kow had sued and won the case.

• The victory reinforced the Fourteenth Amendment, which held that noncitizens living in the US were to be treated differently.

• The victory reinforced the Fourteenth Amendment, which held that everyone living in the U.S. had equal protection under American law.