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The Naturalization Act of 1790
This creates uniform naturalization regulations and a two-year residency requirement for aliens who were "free white persons" of "good moral character". Source: Harvard Open Collections -
The Naturalization Act of 1798
Permits the deportation of foreigners who were deemed to be dangerous. Increases residency requirements to 14 years to prevent immigrants who voted for the Republican Party from becoming citizens. It is considered one of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Source: Harvard University Open Collections. -
Residency Requirements Revised
A revision on the Naturalization Act of 1798 reduces the residency requirements to five years under the Jefferson administration. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Slave Importation Banned
Importation of slaves into the U.S. banned. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
143,439 immigrants arrive
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Period: to
599,125 immigrants arrive
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Period: to
1,713,251 immigrants arrive
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80,000 Mexicans Gain Citizenship
Approximately 80,000 Mexicans in California, Texas and Southwest become citizens following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
2,598,214 immigrants arrive
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Period: to
2,314,825 immigrants arrive
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"Anti-Coolie" Act
This act discourages Chinese immigration to California. Creates special taxes on employers who hire Chinese workers.
Photo displays 'coolies' crossing the Missouri River. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Naturalization Act of 1870
This act grants citizenship to whites and African-Americans. Asians are still excluded. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
2,812,191 immigrants arrive
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Period: to
5,246,613 immigrants arrive
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Period: to
1 million Germans arrive in the peak of German immigration
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Period: to
2 million Eastern European Jews immigrate to the United States
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Chinese Exclusion Act
This act was mainly immigration restriction. It restricted Chinese immigration to the U.S. for 10 years. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Immigration Act of 1882
Levies a tax on immigrants landing at U.S. ports 50 cents. Also makes several categories of immigrants ineligible for citizenship, such as 'lunatics' and people likely to become public charges. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Alien Contract Labor Law
Companies/individuals cannot bring foreigners into the U.S. under labor contracts. There are some exceptions including domestic service workers and skilled workmen needed to establish a new trade/industry. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
New Immigration Restrictions
Persons suffering from a dangerous contagious disease, polygamists and those convicted of a "misdemeanor involving moral turpitude" are ineligible for immigration. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
3,687,564 immigrants arrive.
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Geary Act
This act extends the Chinese Exclusion Act for 10 more years. Forces Chinese residents to carry permits. Chinese residents can no longer serve as witnesses in court and no longer receive bail in habeas corpus proceedings. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
8,795,386 immigrants arrive
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Renewal of Chinese Exclusion Act
Chinese Exclusion Act renewed with no ending date. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Naturalization Act of 1906
Standardization of naturalization procedures, adds knowledge of English as a requirement for citizenship, and establishes the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization in the Commerce Dept. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
2 million Italians arrive in the peak of Italian immigration
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Period: to
5,735,811 immigrants arrive
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California Alien Land Law
Prohibits Chinese and Japanese from owning property in the state, providing a model for similar anti-Asian laws in other states.
Pictured: Juichi Soyeda and Tadao Kamiya of Japan arrive in 1913 to lobby against the law. Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Immigration Act of 1917
Creates "Asiatic Barred Zone" to restrict immigration from Asia. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Literacy Requirements
Immigrants now have to be able to read 40 words in some language to prove literacy. Immigration from Asia (except Japan and the Philippines) is banned. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
4,107,209 immigrants arrive.
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Emergency Quota Act
Restricts immigration from countries to three percent of the number of people from that country living in the U.S. in 1910. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Indians from the Asian Sub-Continent Cannot Become Citizens?
Supreme Court rules in U.S. v. Bhaghat Singh Thind that Indians cannot become U.S. citizens. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Oriental Exclusion Act
Oriental Exclusion Act: Limits immigration from Asia including foreign-born wives and Chinese children whose parents had become American citizens. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Immigration Act of 1924
Annual European immigration is now limited to two percent of the no. of people from that country living in the U.S. in 1890 to reduce immigration from southern and eastern European countries. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
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Immigration Quota
A quota is instituted that caps national immigration at 150,000 and completely bars Asian immigration. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Period: to
532,431 immigrants arrive.
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Alien Registration Act
Requires registration and fingerprinting of all aliens in the U.S. over 14 years old. Source: Harvard Open Collections -
Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943
Repeals the Chinese Exclusion Act and permits Chinese nationals in the country to become naturalized citizens. Source: link -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
Liberalized immigration from Asia while increasing the government's power to deport illegal immigrants suspected of Communist sympathies. Source: here. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
Discontinues quotas based on national origin. Gives preference to those who had relatives in the U.S. Restricts Mexican immigration for the first time. Source: here. Pictured: Pres. Johnson signing the bill in front of the Statue of Liberty. -
Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act of 1966
Gives Cubans who entered or were already in the U.S., legal status. Source: here. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
Creates a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. since before 1982. Makes it a crime to hire an illegal immigrant. -
Immigration Act of 1990
Increases immigration limit to 700,000 and increases number of permitted visas by 40 percent. Family reunification stays the main immigration criterion. Increases in employment-related immigration. Source -
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
Makes drastic changes to asylum law, immigration detention, criminal-based immigration and other immigration relief. Source: link. -
Period: to
11.2 million immigrants came to the U.S.
Source: US Census -
REAL ID Act
Restricts political asylum further, increases immigration enforcement mechanisms, suspends habeas corpus relief for immigrants, imposes federal restrictions of the issuing of driver's licenses to immigrants and others.
Source: link. -
Legislation on the Table
Today, there are 52 immigration bills of some kind sitting in committees in the House and the Senate written by Republicans, Democrats or both. Among them are the 'Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2013' -- a bill that seeks to eliminate the per-country quota on employment-based immigrants and family-sponsored immigrants. -
Legislation Cont.
Other legislation includes the Uniting American Families Act of 2013, which seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by allowing permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status.
The immigration Reform that Works for America's Future Act includes creating pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants and making it more difficult for employers to exploit them.
