A Study Of Immigration Act Of 1924 In The United States

The Immigration Act of 1924 created a permanent quota system. The act transferred "individual selection" to "group selection". By creating "Visa system" and "double check system", The Immigration Act of 1924 chose immigrants not only in "quantity" but also in "quality". The act shifted the 1921 annual quota from 358,000 to 164,000. In addition, the Act reduced the immigration limit from 3 percent to 2 percent of each foreign-born group living in the United States in 1890. Using 1890 excluded the new wave of foreign-born from southern and eastern Europe from quotas truly proportionate to their new numbers in the population. Finally, the act provided for a future reduction of quota to 154,000. The new law cut the quota for northern and western Europe by 19 percent, but slashed that for southern and eastern Europe by 87 percent. Besides the restriction on southern and eastern Europe, The quota system has a far-reaching impact on countries in Asia and countries in the Western Hemisphere. The act excluded all Asians, considering them as "ineligibility to citizenship". The quota system did not apply to countries in the Western Hemisphere, but statues of "deportation" and "border patrol" restricted immigrants in the Western Hemisphere. The thesis included four chapters with additional preface and conclusion.The preface explains the reason and significance of researching Immigration Act of 1924, analyzing the present research in domestics and overseas.Chapter one overviews the brief history of immigration and important immigration laws enacted before 1920's in United States. By discussing the changes of immigration origins in 1880's, explaining the reason why Immigration Act of 1924 restricts and selects immigrants strictly.Chapter two illustrates the process of making the Immigration Act of 1924, focusing on the discussing in Congress assembly and carrying out national origin provision of the Immigration Act of 1924, besides comments of scholars and common people in United States.Chapter three analyses the Immigration Act of 1924. By discussing the quota system of the Act, makes an objective review.Chapter four explicates impact of the Immigration Act of 1924 on Asian immigrants and immigrants in the Western Hemisphere, places emphasis on American Japanese and American Mexico.The conclusion chapter summarize the principal studying, makes a further explanation of impact of the Act on northern and western Europe, Asian group and group in the Western Hemisphere.