I.Hints
that Open Door Will Close:
A.
Naturalization law 1790: for 1½ centuries, only whites can be citizens
via naturalization
B.
Alien and Sedition Acts 1790: later repealed; state\local govs compete
for immigrants
C.
Native American Party (1845) and Know Nothing Party (1850s): opposed immigration
D.
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882: only nationality to be barred by name. Repealed
1943.
1.
Build transcontinental railroad, 1862-1869: cheap labor seen as threat
2.
Workingman’s Party has slogan “The Chinese Must Go”
E.
1917 Immigration Act: barred alcoholics, stowaways, vagrants, and insane+literacy
test
II.Dark
Chapter in Immigration History: U.S. Eugenics Movement succeeds in 3 goals
(Eugenics
is a pseudo-science concerned with improving human stock through selective
breeding)
A.
Restrictions on marriage:
by 1914, > ½ states restrict marriage when mental defects
B.
Sterilization of genetic undesirables:
30 states+Puerto Rico pass laws
1.
More than 63,000 sterilized, more than ½ against will, 1907-1964.
2.
Supreme Court upheld laws in 1927, declared unconstitutional in 1964
3.
U.S. provide foundation for 1933 Nazi Eugenics Law, which sterilizes 2
million
C.
Restrict Immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe:
fear of “dangerous race
mixing”
leads to “emergency” legislation in 1921 and 1924.
1.
Said to be “round-headed” using cephalic index: morally/intellectually
inferior
2.
Alpha and Beta tests used for WWI recruits show intellectually inferior
a.IQ
tests are necessarily culture-bound, but these are especially biased
III.The
Emergency Quota Act of 1921
A.
First ceiling on immigration: about 350,000
B.
Quota: 3% of foreign born of particular nationality based on 1910 Census
1.
biased against South/East Europe since more recent immigration (1890 onward)
C.
Cuts S/E European immigration to 1/4 of previous level
IV.The
Reid-Johnson Act (Immigration Quota Act of 1924)
A.
First stage: ceiling of 165,000
B.
First stage: annual quota reduced to 2% of foreign-born already in U.S.
in 1890 Census
C.
2nd stage of same law: in 1929, ceiling further reduced to 150,000
D.
2nd stage: national origins principle introduced: quota based on
% of 150,000 of a
given
national stock (now includes descendents of foreign born) using 1920 Cenus
1.
Even more biased in favor of first immigrant stream
2.
Racist principle not eliminated until passage of 1965 immigration law