The first drastic measure taken to reduce immigration was the quota law passed in 1921. This law limited the number of immigrants from any one country to 3 per cent of the nationality of that country which was in the United States in 1910. The law of 1924 reduced the quotas to 2 per cent based on the 1890 census. As a result, in 1925 only 294,000 immigrants were admitted. Later amendments were made to the law of 1924 in 1929. These amendments stated that the total annual quota could not exceed 150,000.
) Y4 ?# r; e+ w) }$ `6 _ The 150,000 to be admitted from all nations under the 1929 amendment were to be apportioned in terms of the number of people of a given nation's origin living in the United States in 1920 and the total population in the same year. This meant that a national origin which represented 10 per cent of the total population in 1920 would have a quota of 15,000 from the foreign country which sent the respective immigrants. This law, in addition to still further restricting immigration, assigned 83 per cent of the total to nations of western and northern Europe and the remainder to southern and eastern European nations. During the following ten years(1931-1940) only 528,431 people sought a new home in our United States. This was fewer than arrived in the decade of the 1830's, a century earlier. This effect may be attributed to the restrictive legislation combined with the consequences of the economic depression of the 1930's. It is important to note that during this ten-year span of 1931 to 1940, 459,738 emigrated from our country back to the countries of their origin, in most instances. The war years of the 1940's and the continuation of the 1929 legislation kept immigration at an average of 100,000 per year in the decade of 1941-1950.% P9 J3 Q/ q, Q3 U7 K
On June 27, 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act became the law of the land. It discontinued racial bars ( RI fjj '|4 M At! ) on immigration but did not give up the quota system based on national origins. Asiatic nations were permitted an annual quota based upon a formula like the one given to European nations. Under this act, immigration was restricted to a maximum of 154,657 with most of the migrants to come from northern and western Europe. One year later, in 1953, permission was granted to allow 214,000 refugees to enter the United States during the following three years. This was in addition to the numbers permitted under the law of 1952. Since then, the immigration law has been further liberalized.
9 A/ o- }# w4 s3 k# x1 [- B If a public opinion poll were taken in the United States today, it would most probably show that a majority of Americans favor restricting immigration. The overwhelming majority, however, favor legislation to permit the admission of immigrants who can contribute to the development and progress of the nation.
! D3 v$ L; |# c% h: A7 l& l. q 1. In 1780, 3,000,000 Americans were descended from immigrants of England and northern Ireland.
g0 M" n% O |9 d! t8 z6 c 2. The new government of the United States was founded in 1789.& Q4 @& |, \6 @4 J
3. The 1929 amendment merely served to restrict immigration to the U. S. .6 h4 [; Z0 I; S, a) M7 w- }3 y) @, t
4. The years from 1861 to 1917 witnessed a need for immigrants as workers in industry and laborers from railroad construction. a% ?' Z* t2 c/ B( V; o
5. The restriction of immigration to the U. S. was one of the factors leading to the economic depression of the 1930s.
T' h. j0 t% }# n& b6 D+ @ 6. The depression of the 1930s was dealt with by permitting immigrants who could contribute to the development and progress of the nation.
$ M* a1 v J3 u& |# i 7. In 1929, only a little more than 150,000 foreigners migrated to the U. S. .
: ^& S T+ c3 b7 u 8. Between 1931 and 1940 only______people emigrated to the U. S. .
. f: _/ t8 I# ` \5 C 9. Since 1953 the immigration law has become increasingly</p> 10. In the 1880s Americans were concerned that immigrants were likely to become
: B" F8 B# p) S: V2 P& B I. Y 2. Y 3. N 4. Y 5. N 6. NG 7. N 8. 528,431 9. liberalized 10. public charges |