Quick–and–easy take–out Chinese food is a staple of the New York diet, but how, exactly, did that happen? A significant factor was the prejudice that Chinese immigrants experienced from Americans. The first Chinese immigrants in New York found their options for employment very limited and, in order to survive, many opened up small restaurants. Most of these immigrants were from the Canton Province, which uses inexpensive ingredients to produce one of the most delightful and varied cuisines in China. The Chinese Exclusion Act (which had sharply limited immigration since 1882) was repealed in 1965, and the sudden influx of Chinese immigrants that followed led to a relative explosion of small restaurants throughout the city.