▁led ▁to ▁physical ▁violence ▁against ▁them . ▁" The ▁murder ▁of ▁Els ie ▁Sig el ▁immediately ▁gra bb ed ▁the ▁front ▁pages ▁of ▁newsp apers , ▁which ▁port rayed ▁Chinese ▁men ▁as ▁dangerous ▁to ▁" inn oc ent " ▁and ▁" vir tu ous " ▁young ▁white ▁women . ▁This ▁murder ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁sur ge ▁in ▁the ▁har ass ment ▁of ▁Chinese ▁in ▁communities ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁States ." ▁ ▁The ▁emer ging ▁American ▁trade ▁un ions , ▁under ▁such ▁leaders ▁as ▁Samuel ▁G om pers , ▁also ▁took ▁an ▁out sp oken ▁anti - Ch inese ▁position , ▁regarding ▁Chinese ▁labor ers ▁as ▁compet itors ▁to ▁white ▁labor ers . ▁Only ▁with ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁international ▁trade ▁union , ▁I W W , ▁did ▁trade ▁union ists ▁start ▁to ▁accept ▁Chinese ▁workers ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁working - class . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁various ▁legal ▁disc rimin atory ▁measures ▁were ▁taken ▁against ▁the ▁Chinese . ▁These ▁laws , ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Ex clusion ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁were ▁aim ed ▁at ▁restrict ing ▁further ▁imm igration ▁from ▁China . ▁although ▁the ▁laws ▁were ▁later ▁repe aled ▁by ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Ex clusion ▁Re pe al ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁In ▁particular , ▁even ▁in ▁his ▁l one ▁diss ent ▁against ▁Pl ess y ▁v . ▁Fer g us on ▁( 1 8 9 6 ), ▁then -