-
English Colonists & Jamestown Virginia
Under the "London Company," English colonists settled in Jamestown, Virginia. This set the stage for many other English immigrants to follow. These were some of the first immigrants to travel to and settle in America. -
Naturalization Act of 1790
The Naturalization Act of 1790 detailed the first rules regarding the issue of granting natural citizenship. This law stated the only immigrants eligible for naturalization were white people of good character, excluding any Native Americans, slaves, and any other person of color. Later acts increased the necessary time spent in the U.S. to become a citizen. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The four sections include The Naturalization Act (signed June 18; an extension of the original, requiring residency to be 14 years), The Alien Act (signed June 25; gave president power to deport aliens), The Alien Enemies Act (signed July 6; gave president power to deport aliens with ties to wartime enemies), and The Sedition Act (signed July 14; gave president power to define treasonous behavior). -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This act denied Chinese laborers admission into the U.S. for ten years and continued on with small adjustments for about sixty years. This marked the beginning of much stricter immigration laws and the use of federal policy to prevent foreigners from entering the country. -
Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization
Congress established this bureau to handle the naturalization of immigrants and was later placed within the Department of Labor. The formation of this department was very necessary to cater to the constantly increasing population of immigrants. Now, we have United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which also provides resources and assistance to immigrants who wish to become citizens. -
Ellis Island
The new station on Ellis Island opened on this day. Annie Moore, a young Irish girl, was the first of the twelve million immigrants who would be processed on the island. Ellis Island acted as a hub for immigrants to enter the country for over half a century, and the sight of the Statue of Liberty to these immigrants was a recognizable sign of hope, indicating the start of their new life. -
Supreme Court Upholds 14th Amendment Rights
On this date, the Supreme Court confirmed the rights detailed in the 14th Amenment of the Constitution that any person born in the United States is a legal U.S. citizen. At this time, some people were far from enthused about granting such citizenship to babies born to Chinese parents. Today, people still have problems with immigrants giving birth to fully legal citizens, especially in regard to Mexican immigrants, using unflattering terms such as, "anchor babies." -
Labor Appropriation Act of 1924
This act passed by Congress established the U.S. Border Patrol. About 450 officers were initially recruited, and their job was to secure the U.S. borders from any incoming illegal immigrants. Today, there are countless checkpoints along our borders, but primarily at the U.S./Mexican border, and officers are given more than a badge and a revolver. -
Displaced Persons Act
This act allowed 200,000 displeced persons to enter the U.S. considering the aftermath of the war and the state that Israel was in. One may find correlations between this act and the current situation involving Syrian refugees. -
Arizona Proposition 203
This legislation made English Language Immersion the only option for Arizona schools. The proposition often writes about immigrant familes, parents, and students, explaining the only way for immigrant students to effectively learn English and attain the American Dream is through this method. This not only assumes all ELL students are immigrants or children of immigrants, it also endorses the idea that English is the expected language in America while other languages are viewed as problematic. -
The DREAM Act
The DREAM Act proposes that illegal immigrants are initially granted conditional residency and eventually permanent residency after completing the necessary steps. While the requirements for the DREAM Act are reasonable on both ends, it has failed to pass each time it's been presented. This demonstrates the continuous unwillingness to aid immigrants so they can be meaningful members of society (though Obama has implemented DACA). -
Military Support Expanded Along Borders
The U.S. Department of Defense expanded military support along U.S. borders following the terrorist attack. This day sparked an increase in counterterrorism efforts and simultaneously perpetuated a stigma against immigrants and people of color. Apparently the Department of Defense believed they'd be able to combat terrorism by monitoring immigrant activity, but this just displays blatant racism and ignorance about immigrants that continues to this day. -
Secure Fence Act
This act allowed for the construction of a double-layered fence along 700 miles of the U.S./Mexican border. It also called for more action to be taken in preventing immigrants, terrorists, and contraband from making its way into the U.S. -
SB 1070
Governor Jan Brewer signed the infamous SB 1070 into law, calling for legal immigrants to carry documentation with them at all times and allowing police to question anybody they reasonably suspect is an illegal immigrant. Not only has this been one of the most restrictive legislations regarding illegal immigration, but it also encourages racial profiling and discriminates heavily against people of color and immigrants. -
Obama Prevents Deportation of Millions of Illegal Immigrants
Obama imposes major immigration reform to remove the threat of deportation for approximately 4.7 million immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally. Many of these immigrants who are parents of U.S. born children or legal permanent residents are granted temporary access to reside in the U.S. and reap some benefits as well, such as applying for jobs.
