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Citizenship
In 1790, Congress passed a low defining who could become a citizen if a person was not born in the U.S. Citizenship was possible only for "a free white person." It was understood, this barred any African or Asian immigrants from becoming citizens, After the Civil War, people born in Africa were allowed to become citizens but Asian immigrants were still excluded. -
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Immigration
Between 1880 and 1920nb25 million immigrants Arrived. This was the heaviest immigration period in American history. These immigrants were seen as very different from Americans because most had come from countries of Southern and Eastern Europe, parts of the world unfamiliar to many Americans. -
Chinese Eclusion Act
In 1882 Congress pased the frist major law that barred entrance to specific groups because of the California Gold Rush and railroad building that attracted immigrants. Chinese men made up most of the railroad workforce in San Francisco. Californians began to rally against the Chinese. Congress responed by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act. It stated: no Chinese laborer could enter the U.S. for 10 years. This act stayed in force until WWII when China was an American ally. -
Quota Act
Congress set up quotas favoring immigrants from Northwestern Europe. -
Immigration Act
This act introduced a quota system by country: each country's immigrants were limited to 2% of foreign born residents from that country listed in the U.S. Census of 1890. It favored groups that had been in the U.S. for a long time. -
Immigration Reform Act
Brought on by the civil rights movement Congress passed the Immigration Reform Act that abolished tge quota system based on national origin. President Lyndon B. Johnson say the old system as "un-American." The new law was driven by 2 principles: reunifying families and giving priority to certain skills. The law set up annual limits: 170,000 immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere and 120,000 from the Western. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
The Immigration and Reform and Control Act penalizes 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
Congress wnated to make sure i,,igrants from one country didn't make up most of the total immigrants coming to the U.S. It passed the Imigration Act. It said no coumtry could account for more than 7% of total immigrants. This law also took into consideration a person's education and skills. Also it set up special catagories for war refugees and close relatives of American citizens, -
Immigration Reform Act
This act increased the border patrol staff and stiffened penalties for creating false citizenship papers or smuggling undocumented workers. -
Immigration issues
In 2007, President Goerge W. Bush committed himself to backing a bill to addres all iimmigration issues. This bill proposed to fill short-term labor needs through a guest worker program and strengthen border control. THis bill would have fined undocumented immigrants and required them to fulfil obligations before they could become a citizen. This was called "A path to citizenship." Many thought this bill wasnt harsh enough and that the bill amounted to amnesty, forgivness. The Senate voted no.
