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New Laws
Illinois and Wisconsin embrace English-only laws -
The Immigration Restriction League
Immigration Restriction League was founded to educate the population on the immigration system in order to gain support for immigration restriction, and to lobby for restrictive legislation. -
Naturalization Act of 1906
The Naturalization Act of 1906, which required immigrants to speak English before becoming naturalized citizens, was passed. -
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The Dillingham Commission
The Dillingham Commission carried out research on immigration into the United States and ultimately concluded that immigration posed a threat to American society. -
Percentage of Immigrants
Immigration levels reached a high within the United States, with 14.7% of American citizens being foreign-born. -
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World War I
Although the war began in 1914, the United States did not enter the war until 1917. Post-war, anti-German attitudes pushed the United States to eliminate German from schools, leading to many schools becoming monolingual. -
Meyer v. Nebraska
Meyer vs. Nebraska rules that a 1919 law outlawing foreign language instruction is unconstitutional, violating the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment. -
English-only Schools
34 states have imposed English-only legislation on their schools. -
Farrington vs. Tokushige
Farrington vs. Tokushige rules that Hawaii cannot make it illegal for schools to teach foreign languages without a permit, as it violates the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. -
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The Great Depression
As a point of reference, the United States was under a severe economic depression during this timespan. -
Record-Setting Populations
Latin American and Asian populations that America has seen up to that point. -
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World War II
World War II (America enters in 1941). As with the first World War, nationalistic attitudes push immigrants to assimilate, including speaking English.