The chinese exclusion act of 1882 was primarily a response to

A localist reaction against Chinese immigration, which contributed a large number of workers who were mainly employed on the west coast of the United States.

Explanation:

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At the end of the 1840s, gold was discovered in California, which caused a great movement of people who came with the hope of obtaining great economic benefits. Many immigrants arrived from China.

In 1873, the New York bank Jay Cooke and Company went bankrupt, causing a financial crisis that hit California economically.

In the 1880s, the estimated number of Chinese in California was 100,000.

In this climate of economic uncertainty, white workers blamed the Chinese for representing unfair competition, since they often accepted jobs for a low payment. The Chinese population began to suffer many acts of violence.

The Chinese exclusion act of 1882 suspended the immigration of Chinese for 10 years.

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