Oregon • 1850s

Lee Yok

Race, immigration & state voting rules

Role-play summaryI came from China to Oregon in the 1850s, when anti-Chinese prejudice shaped law and daily life. I would argue that denying political voice based on race or origin is unjust.

What forces are at play?

This role is built around an era when citizenship and voting rules openly used racial categories. Federal naturalization law made citizenship largely unavailable to Chinese immigrants, while Oregon’s early political system also used racial exclusions. A white immigrant could sometimes be welcomed into the political community more readily than a Chinese resident who had lived and worked in the same place.

How can this shape elections?

The contrast exposes how race can matter more than residence, contribution, or even similar immigrant status. When law defines who is capable of becoming a citizen, it shapes the electorate for generations. This role connects voting rights to broader questions about immigration, racial classification, and who the nation considers eligible to belong.

Carry these questions into the activity

What rule, barrier, or source of power matters most from this person’s point of view?
Who gains political voice — and who loses it — because of the way the election system works here?