The Impact Of Immigration, 1917-80 Flashcards
What was the USA’s immigration policy pre-WW1?
It had an open door policy, welcoming immigrants with little restriction
How did the FIRST Red Scare impact immigration/immigrants?
People feared that immigrants were disloyal and/or communists, leading to mass deportation
1921 Emergency Quota Act
Restricts the annual number of immigrants from any country to 3% of the population from that country living in the USA as of the 1910 census
1924 Johnson-Reed Immigration Act
Tightens the quota system to 2% from the 1890 census
What happens in July 1927 as an addition to the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act?
The number of immigrants is fixed at 150,000 (based on the 1920 census)
1929 National Origins Formula
Confirms the 150,000 limit and bans Asian immigration altogether
What is the impact of the Great Depression?
There is the mass deportations of Mexicans (approx 400,000)
1940 Alien Registration Act
Requires non citizens to register with the federal government
1950 addition to the Alien Registration Act
Creates a vetting process to ensure green cards only go to “legal immigrants”
1948 Displaced Persons Act
Helped 415,000 people who were displaced during WW2, but had to stay within the quota limit
What was the cold wars impact?
The USA wanted to help refugees fleeing from communism but were prevented by the quota system, so they had to pass new laws to allow for refugees
1952 Immigration and Nationality Act
Retains the limit and a quota (based on 1920 census) and introduces a preference system for skilled workers, but allows for 100,000 Asian immigrants
1953 Refugee Act
Extends the 1948 Displaced Persons Act, allowing for 214,000 European refugees that is set outside of the numerical limit
Operation Wetback, 1954
USA begins to deport “illegal” immigrants, majority being Mexican
1957 Refugee-Escapee Act
Expands refugee legislation to cover those escaping from communism but
Impact of Cuba?
Castro seized power in 1959, and 200,000 refugees flee to the USA. Government sets up a Cuban Refugees Program
How did Kennedy feel towards immigration?
He was anti-quota, in 1958 he wrote “a nation of immigrants”
1965 Immigration and Nationality Act
Abolishes quotas, setting a 170,000 immigrants/year limit, allows for more Asian immigration, a persons immediate family are not counted in the limit, but it doesn’t apply to the western hemisphere
1966 Cuban Adjustment Act
Gave citizenship to Cubans entering the country after 1959
1968 Armed Forces Act
Anyone who fought for the USA in WW1, WW1, Korea or Vietnam is now entitled to citizenship
Impact of the Vietnam war
After the fall of Saigon the USA took 130,000 refugees, and as communism spread it only increased. There was 700,000 by 1985
Illegal Central and South American Immigration
Many South American immigrations came to the USA illegally (60,000/ year - 1975), 1 million were arrested and reported by INS in 1980
Job offers and cheap labour
Fears of Hispanics “taking” jobs
