Immigration in the 1920s and Beyond

Laws and Regulations

Reasons for Restrictions

• Continued resentment of immigrants who take jobs of “Americans”

• Post war unemployment

• Red Scare – Fear of Communists

Quotas

• 1921: Emergency Quota Act established– Numerical Limits– Quotas *** Why was this a turning point in American immigration policy?

• Set at 3% of population of residents from each country in 1910

• Total immigration dropped from about 800,000 to 300,000

• No limits on immigrants from Latin America

Immigration Act of 1924

• Changed Quota to 2% based on 1890 immigrant population.

*** Why do you think they changed the year to 1890?

• Non-White people were not eligible to immigrate or become citizens.– Japan, China, the Philippines (then under U.S.

control), Siam (Thailand), French Indochina (Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia), Singapore (then a British colony), Korea, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), Burma (Myanmar), India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Malaysia

Changing Proportions of European Immigrants

Repatriation

• 1924 Act did not limit immigration from the Americans (Mexico, Central America, South America, Canada)

• 1929-1939: coerced repatriation and deportation of between 500,000 and 2 million Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans.

• Many were citizens, no due process

Immigration from Asia

• Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943 – Ended Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

• Luce-Celler Act of 1946– Opened up immigration from the Philippines

and India

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

• Abolished quota system, annual limit of 300,000 visas issued.

• Opened up to immigrants from non-western countries

• Today: 1) Reunite Families 2) Fill Labor Shortages 3) Asylum 4) Promote Diversity