Nevada passes a law banning marriage between white and Asian people.
Date: 1861
At the time, "Chinese" is used to designate anyone of Asian descent. The law passed in Nevada forbids marriage between white and Asian people for the first time, as well as Black people, "mulattoes," and Natives. Fourteen states will soon follow, predominantly in the West. The legal language varies from state to state, using either the words "Chinese" or "Mongolian." This law and the ones that follow occur alongside a rise in anti-Asian violence and xenophobia.