Immigration Act of 1924: Origins, Quotas, and Implications

The Immigration Act of 1924
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The Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924 is one of the notable and most controversial federal laws in the history of the United States. The law limited the influx of immigrants into the U.S. by restricting individuals based on their national origin. The quota utilized the results of the 1890 census to issue immigration visas into the U.S. The Immigration Act 1924 indicated that immigration visas should be issued to 2 percent of the total number of individuals of each nationality in the U.S. by 1890. However, the Act wholly excluded Asian immigrants from getting into the United States. The Immigration Act of 1924 had social-political implications during the 1920s. It remained a relevant legal provision in the contemporary United States due to many lessons learned from its impacts.
Origins of the Immigration Act of 1924
Congress first enacted massively restrictive immigration laws in 1917. It took advantage of the uncertainties about the U.S. national security created by the devastating impacts of World War I. It was easier to develop restrictive statutes because many Americans were worried about security issues associated with immigration. The 1917 legislation created a path and prepared Americans for the Immigration Act of 1924. The legislation stated that immigrants older than 16 should possess a basic understanding of language and reading skills. The 1917 act also imposed more taxes on immigrants and authorized the U.S. immigration officials to rely on discretion while deciding who should not immigrate into the country. The Act also excluded those born in Asia, except for the Filipinos and Japanese, from moving into the U.S. Filipinos were granted immigration visas because the Philippines were the colony of the U.S., and its citizens were authorized to move in and out of the U.S. freely. On the other hand, the Japanese were allowed to enter the U.S. because their government had voluntarily limited the influx of its people into the U.S. in 1907. The geographical exclusion of Asian migrants was referred to as the “Asiatic Barred Zone.” Chinese migrants were not listed in the Barred Zone because they had already been deterred from immigrating into the U.S. through the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Immigration Quotas of the 1920s
The U.S. government realized that literacy tests could not effectively bar potential migrants from getting into the country. Congress developed new policies to restrict immigrants from entering the U.S. in the 1920s. The Immigration Act of 1924 proposed a permanent quota system that would prevent people from entering the U.S. based on their nationalities. The Act limited the number of people that could be granted visas to 2% of the total number of their nationalities. The quota calculation formula primarily relied on the census of 1890. One hundred fifty thousand migrants were allowed to enter the U.S. after the Immigration Act of 1924 was had been signed into law by President Coolidge. The Act also reinforced all the previous acts that banned Asian migrants from entering the U.S. The Act recorded an 80% reduction of immigrants.
Implications of the Immigration Act of 1924 in the 1920s
The Immigration Act of 1924 had profoundly impacted many immigrants in the 1920s. Some benefited from the immigration quotas, while others were disadvantaged by the Act. Individuals from European nations, notably the United Kingdom, benefited from the quota because they were allowed to enter the U.S. On the other hand, most people of Asian descent were negatively affected by the Act because it barred them from entering the U.S. Research shows that the immigration quota significantly affected the 1920s economy of the U.S. because it reduced the earnings of the average U.S. laborers (Ager & Hansen, 2017). The impacts of immigration quotas also differed substantially by gender and race. Native white male workers in the countries experienced massive losses. On the other hand, the earnings of both male and female African Americans increased because they served as a closer substitute for migrant workers. Most African Americans benefited from the 1924 act because they got employment opportunities and experienced a relative improvement in their living standards. The U.S. also got into political disagreements with the many Asians and Europeans whose citizens were restricted from entering the U.S.
Modern Social, Political and Economic Significance of Immigration Laws
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