Chinese Americans in the Pacific Northwest have been around since as early as the 1850s. Chinese Americans arrived in the Greater Seattle area in as early as 1851. Oregon had also seen an influx of Chinese Immigrants as early as 1851, because of mining opportunities. Idaho saw an influx of Chinese Immigrants in the late-19th century, and by 1870 saw a population of around 4,000 Chinese immigrants. The influx of Chinese Immigrants in the Pacific Northwest and the rest of the United States led to retaliation by whites, leading to Anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States. These sentiment then lead to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which expelled many Chinese Americans in the Pacific Northwest.