First major immigration act in 1921What caused immigration restrictions?Nativism/XenophobiaUntil the 1910s, we were just nativist, but after that time, we switched to being fearful.Why do the whites terrify immigrants?Loss of power due to voting blocksThat they’re losing their women.NumbersDuring the industrial revolution, second wave, people flood into the USCollectively referred to as the “New Immigrants”, one of these groups being the Italians.Tend to be return migrants and don’t assimilateDon’t learn EnglishDon’t convert to Protestantism“Undesireables” Different looking, poor, “wrong” religionsOur first immigration laws come up to keep these guys away.What do we want to do with our laws?We want to limit the immigration of people we don’t like, the US hides behind crazy numbers and systems to confuse peopleIn order to limit the amount of immigrants, we need to find a way to count them before they’re already here.Ellis IslandOpened 1892-1954Started to count the immigrants. All boats MUST port at Ellis Island, but we make more than one, all up and down the east coast, and use Angel Island the same way.Ellis Island in the US is a class based system.In your home country, you buy yourself a boat ticket, but the boat line (owned by the US) says you have to buy a round trip ticket to the US so they have a trip home if they get turned away.Most of our immigrants come in steerage class on huge Atlantic cruisers.We see that varying classes are coming in, so when our giant cruisers come in, the steerage class is ushered out of the boat, but the rich people sit in their cabins, officials go in, confirm no one is sick or anything crazy, and then bids them all adieu and sends them on their way.The Steerage class sits outside, called into the building, little by little, so we can check them for illness, mental capacity.First, you go through the process of checking yourself and your family in. Initially we have no paperwork from immigrants, so Americans ask in English “What is your name” “Where are you from” English speakers can’t figure out the answer, so names can get changed.Medical examinations are then administered, stripped down naked, asked to cough, checked out for STDs, we’re looking for TB and STDs (any women with STDs are assumed to be prostitutes and sent away due to the Page Act) Southern Italian women are being poked and prodded at by a male doctor, down there. Sounds good -.-The mental examinations consists of questions like “Who is the president” and whatnot, and if they think you’re really stupid, they’ll give you a puzzle.Families also get ripped apart here, Your wife isn’t admitted to America, so when they ask you in English “Do you want to go with your wife or go to America” All you get is “Go to America” And so you are separated from your wife, or your children, etc.Alien and Sedition Acts 1798Naturalization Act of 1870Page Act of 1875“Undesirables” and prostitutesWe get to decide what this broad term means, so mentally infirm, etcChinese Exclusion Act of 1882Chae Chan Ping vs US 1889Important because not only did it “confirm” it was constitutionally acceptable to bar out Chinese, but the Justices wrote opinions like “Only the US can make immigration laws” and “The US can keep out whoever they want”The Quota ActsWe can’t limit immigration by numbers because we need workers, but we just want certain workersInvolves a total number of immigrants, so we limit the amount of immigrants let in by the number of their people already here.Total # of immigrants allowed in is only 357,000 (3% of the 1910 census)Only 3% of ANY population in the US can be allowed in, Southern Italians, Irish, Northern Italians, etc. only 3% of the current population of those groups.First come, first served basis. And if even 1 more person comes form that group, they’re turned away.BUT there is a total of only 357,000, so all the immigrant groups added together exceed this, so if the main quota is met, and only 1500 Russian Jews came in, too bad, so sad.No thorough way of counting everyone, so plenty of people could sneak in.If you move from a country that isn’t represented in the 1920 census, sorry, you can’t come inImmigration Act of 1925/Johnson-Reed Act/National Origins ActBecause the Quota acts weren’t good enough, apparently.2% of the 1890 census (fewer immigrant groups in the US)Lower the total quota to 164,000Hardly any Jews were allowed to immigrate during the HolocaustExceptions (because we need workers)Allow our “Neighbors” Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, south and central America can come in. We count them on the side, but not part of the quota, but every group has different restrictions.1965, we end the quota with “The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965”Lyndon B Johnson (took over for JFK)Said quotas were unfair, he believed in equality (passed the acts to allow better voting rights for Africans, etc)He divides the globed in half, and gives the Eastern Hemisphere 170,000 immigrants, and the Western 120,00020,000 people are allowed to come over from every country until we meet the max quota.We decide who comes in before they come to the US through applying for the visa, and gives preferential treatment to family members of those who already have family here, and skilled workers, and we get rid of our exceptionsObviously Illegal immigration isn’t new at this point but now it’s really hard to protect the border between the US and Mexico.Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986Ronald Reagan introduced this actWhy are illegal immigrants coming over? For jobs. So in the 80s we finally come up with this idea that if we don’t hire illegals then they won’t come over anymore.Every employer has to prove their employees are legal workers, called the Burden of Proof, you have to ask for official documentation saying these people are here legally, but the employer has to turn in this information, and if you don’t, you aren’t doing your job, and receive the punishment of jail time, a fine, or bothHowever, Reagan sees that we need these people to work, so we give Amnesty to people who have been here at least since Jan 1 1982, and if you’ve been an upstanding citizen (paid bills, paid taxes, etc) and if you turn yourself in and prove the aforementioned conditions, we’ll start the process of making you legal.Many don’t turn themselves in though because they haven’t been in the US long enough,
View Full Document
Unlocking...