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1790
passed a law defining who could become a citizen if a person was not born here: Citizenship was possible only for someone who was "a free white person." As that term was then understood, this barred any African or Asian immigrant from becoming a citizen. After the Civil War, this law was revised to allow people born in Africa to become citizen, but Asian immigrants were still excluded from citizenship. -
Period: to
1880 to 1920
One of the heaviest periods of immigrants in American history cam between 1880 to 1920 when some 25 million immigrants arrived. Most came from the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe- parts of the world that were unfamiliar to many Americans. They saw these new immigrants as very different from themselves. -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
It said that no Chinese laborer could enter the United States for 10 years. Renewed several times, the act was in force until WWII. In that conflict, China was an American ally and Congress repealed the law. -
Quota Act of 1921
Congress sets up quotas favoring immigrants from northwestern Europe; the Immigration Act of 1924expands the quota system: immigrants from any country is limited to 2 percent of its total numbers in the 1890 census. -
Immigation Act of 1924
Each country's immigrants were limited to 2 percent of foreign-born residents from that country listed in the U.S. Census of 1890. -
Immigration Reform Act
Abolishing the quota system based on national origin. When he signed the reform bill, President Lyndon B. Johnson referred to the old system as "un-American." -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
Penalized employers for knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants, but it gives amnesty to some undocumented immigrants, allowing them a path to eventually apply for citizenship. -
Immigration Act of 1990
Said that no country could account for more than 7 percent of total immigrations. the law also considered a person's education and skills.
