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The Question:

What was the immigration Act of 1924 and how did it help shape the feelings and attitudes of America toward immigrates during this period?

What Started The Immigration Act?

The Thesis:

The immigration act of the 1920s reinforced the feelings and the attitudes that most Americans already thought towards the immigrants that did not fit to their liking. Many Americans at the time, believed that certain immigrants- Asian, and southern and eastern Europeans did not belong. That the melting pot theory was not a positive thing because there was little mingling of with immigrants who tended to stay in their own separate groups. With legislation passing this policy, it strengthened those negative feelings.

  • Americans did not want the U.S. to be involved with anymore European political affairs after WW1.
  • Afraid of radicalism (extreme changes).
  • Believed that southern and eastern European immigrants spread these ideas > call for immigration restrictions.

What Was The Immigration Act of 1924?

  • The restriction of all immigrating Asians and on the amount of immigrants to the U.S. from southern and eastern Europe.
  • May 26, 2014
  • Immigration quota was 3% of any countries residents in the U.S.

By: Samantha Honmyo

Who Created The Act?

The Trend:

  • Impacted all types of immigrants, both incoming and those who had been in the states for many years.
  • Stopped all those all untitled for citizenship
  • Defied the Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan

Who It Impacted:

The Restrictions:

  • There were "quota" immigrants and there were "non-quota" immigrants
  • Those who passed as non-quota were: wives, unmarried children (under 18) of already U.S. citizens
  • Residents of the Western Hemisphere
  • Religious or academic professionals, bona fide students
  • Everyone else was considered "quota" immigrants
  • Preference for U.S. citizen family members and people with a green thumb.

It laid the foundation for racist representation of the Japanese and the conduct towards Japanese Americans as aliens.

  • Is also known as the Johnson- Reed Act
  • Albert Johnson's hatred for non-northern Europeans + his political power = U.S. immigration policy in 1924
  • Signed by Pres. Coolidge

Why This Act Was Important:

The Actions Taken Against The Act:

This act was the first major effort to control immigration into the United States.

  • The Japanese had official protest
  • Japanese editorials, public demonstrations, and boycott of American goods.

The American Reaction:

  • 40 out of 44 major eastern newspapers supported the Japanese exclusion.
  • The Japanese were seen as "other" or "aliens ineligible for citizenship" by American labor and its federation.
  • Older immigrants were seen as skilled, economical, and diligent like native born Americans. Recent immigrants from southern ad eastern Europe were considered to be unskilled, ignorant, highly tied into their religion, and not easily integrated with American culture.
  • The reactions in the U.S. varied by region.

The Trouble The Immigration Act Caused:

  • The exclusion policy changed the mutual views of Japan and America in the years that lead to WW2.
  • The exclusion act later drove Japanese militarists to have a more aggressive stance against the U.S.

The Conclusion:

I've come to the conclusion that the immigration act of 1924 strengthened the negative feelings towards certain immigrants that did not blend into society well. Evidence of this is when Americans did not want to be involved with anymore European foreign affairs, and it became more common to disrespect immigrants after the policy was passed.

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