7/30/2019 Brief History of Immigration in the US, A

1/1

1790Uniform rule for

naturalization sets

residence requirement

at two years.

1819Congress enacted

rst signicant federal

legislation relating

specically to immigration.

1864Congress

centralized control

over immigration.

Importation ofcontract laborers

was legalized.

1875Law

prohibited entry

of prostitutesand convicts.

1882Head tax placed on

immigrants who were

Chinese, convicted of

political oenses, lunatics,

idiots, and persons likely to

become public charges.

1885Admission of

contract laborers

was banned.

1888Provisions were

adopted to provide forexpulsion of aliens.

1891Bureau

of Immigration

established.

1903Immigration

law consolidated.Polygamists and

political radicals

added to the

exclusion list.

1906Proceduralsafeguards for naturaliza-

tion enacted. Knowledge

of English made a basic

requirement.

1907Head tax on

immigrants increased. People

with physical defects, mental

defects, tuberculosis, and

children unaccompanied by

parents added to the exclusionlist. Japanese immigration

restricted.

1917Illiterates,

persons of psychopathic

inferiority, men and

women entering for

immoral purposes,

alcoholics, stowaways,and vagrants added to

the exclusion list .

1921First

quantitative

immigration lawadopted. It set

temporary annual

quotas according

to nationality.

1924Firstpermanent

immigration

quota law.

Border Patrol

established.

1929Annual

quotas of the

1924 Act made

permanent.

1943Importation of

agricultural workers

from North, South,

and Central America.

Chinese exclusionlaws were repealed.

1946Immigration

facilitated for foreign-born

wives, ance(e)s, husbands,

and children of U.S. armedforces personnel.

1948Policy adopted

for admitting refugees.

1950Grounds for

exclusion and deporta-

tion of subversives were

expanded.

1952National origins

quota system rearmed.

Eastern Hemisphere

immigration limited while

Western Hemisphereunrestricted. Preferential

treatment for skilled

workers, relatives of U.S.

citizens, and permanent

resident aliens. Security

and screening standardstightened.

1953Law

passed in 1948

increased to

admit more

refugees.

1965Numerical

restrictions maintained

by establishingHemispheric and per

country ceilings and a

seven-category

preference system for

the Eastern Hemisphere

and a separate ceiling forthe Western Hemisphere.

National origins quota

system abolished.

1976Immigration

ceilings and

preference system

applied to Western-

Hemisphere countries.

Separate Hemispheric

ceilings maintained.

1978Easternand Western

Hemispheric

immigration

ceilings were

combined.

1980Refugees

removed as a

preference category.

Clear criteria andprocedures established

for their admission.World-wide ceiling for

immigrants reduced.

1986Legalized previously illegal

aliens residing in the United States.

Prohibited employers from hiring,

recruiting, or referring for a fee,

unauthorized aliens. Provided for

the legalization of certain workersas temporary agricultural workers.

Established a Visa Waiver pilot

program allowing the admission of

certain non-immigrants without

visas. Immigrants whose status was

based on a marriage required toapply for permanent status within

90 days after their two-year

anniversary. 1989Granted perma-

nent status to certain

nonimmigrants nurses.

1990Increased total imunder an overall exible

years. Created separate

categories for family-spoemployment-based, and

immigrants. Revised and

new nonimmigrant adm

ries. Revised all grounds

and deportation, signic

the political and ideologrepealing some grounds

Authorized the Attorney

grant temporary protect

undocumented alien na

designated countries su

conict or natural disastextended Visa Waiver Pr

naturalization and enfor

A Brief History of Immigration in the United States

~150 Thousand

~2.6 Million

~5.2 Million

~8.8 Million

~9 Millio

EuropeAsia

Americ

200019901980197019601950194019301920191019001890188018701860185018401830

~3.7 Million

~500 Thousand

Total immigration

over 187 years

Pleasenote:

U.S. Immigrationpolicies aredrawninthreecolors: Redsuggests themainintentofthe

policies in this yearwas to restrictimmig ration. Green suggests theintentmayhavebeen

toincreaseimmigration. Yellowdenotes neitherorbo th. Feel freeto disagree.

Numbers havebeenroundedforeaseofcomprehension. ~72Millionis easierto make

senseofthan72,066,614. If you prefermorespecicnumbers, pleasetreatyourselfto the

original source: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_research9c29

Finally, immigrationlaws do nottell the wholestoryaboutimmigration. Considerwhat

eectonimmigrationWorldWarI, WorldWarII, theGreatDepression, hyperinationinforeigncountries, orrelativedierences inpercapitaincomemay have..

~72 Million

~2 Million

~12.5 Million

~32 Million