1. Immigration and American History: The Twentieth Century Dr. Marni Davis Assistant Professor of History Georgia State University

3. 1920s - 2000: Three Frameworks Changes in federal immigration POLICY DEMOGRAPHIC transformations Evolution of ATTITUDES toward immigration and immigrants After dinner: THE SOUTH

5. The closing of the gates … 1921: Quota Act limited immigration to 3% of nationality in U.S. in 1910 1924: Johnson-Reed Act further limited immigration by national origin (2% / 1890) SAMPLE ANNUAL QUOTAS AFTER 1924 Germany 51,227 Poland 5,982 Africa (except Egypt) 1,100 Great Britain 34,007 Italy 3,845 Armenia 124 Ireland 28,567 Hungary 473 Australia 121 Sweden 9,561 Russia 2,248 Palestine 100 Norway 6,453 Yugoslavia 671 Syria 100 France 3,954 Romania 603 Turkey 100 TOTAL ANNUAL IMMIGRANT QUOTA: 164,667 (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5078/)

6. IMMIGRATION “WAVES” 1924-1964 1)Refugees  1943: Chinese Exclusion Act repealed  1948: Displaced Persons Act (202,000 annually)  Residents of Communist nations seeking asylum 2)Transborder populations  Quota Acts of 1920s did not restrict migrants from Western Hemisphere Canadians (1.4 million) Mexicans (840,000 immigrants; 4.7 million guest workers)

7. Why do immigrants emigrate? The PUSH and the PULL  PUSH Cataclysm or crisis in home country Persecution Reduction of economic opportunity  PULL Attraction of destination country Reduced costs of migration Economic opportunity: jobs, land Chain migration (kin networks, neighbors)

8. http://www.museumca.org/picturethis/pictures/mexican- workers-are-seen-arriving-train-1942-part-bracero-program MEXICANS IN THE U.S. 1920s-1960s  1920s: agricultural migrant labor  1930s: 500,000 Mexicans forcibly repatriated  Bracero Program (1942-64)  Operation Wetback (1950-55) http://mexicanborder.web.unc.edu/the-bracero-program-3/

9. Immigration and Nationality Act (1965)  End of national origins quota system  Raised number of visas from 150,000 to 290,000: max. 20,000 from any country  Set visa ceilings for both Eastern and Western Hemispheres  Created preference for families of immigrants already here and naturalized The liberalization of immigration policy: reopening the gates but also The creation of the “illegal” Mexican immigrant

10. Ten Countries with Largest Population in U.S. (as % of total foreign born) 198020001960