U.S. and Arizona Immigration Events

Naturalization Act of 1790

Mar 26, 1790

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/naturalization/naturalization_text.htmlThe Naturalization Act provided the first rules in granting national citizenship to the U.S. This law limited naturalization to immigrants who were "free white persons" of "good moral character". This act shows that America viewed those who were different as inferior since the founding of this country.

Indian Removal Act

May 28, 1830

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Indian.htmlThe Indian Removal Act authorized President Andrew Jackson to negotiate with the Indians in the Southern United States for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands. This act allows Americans to feel superior, letting themselves believe it is okay to remove people so that the U.S. can succeed.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

Feb 2, 1848

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/guadalupe-hidalgo/This treaty ended the Mexican-American War allowing the United States to aquire Arizona along with other states. The 80,000 Mexicans living in this territory were allowed to stay and receive citizenship. This event brought tension between the U.S. and Mexico that remains today.

Homestead Act

May 20, 1862

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=31The Homestead Act gave out incentives to settlers who moved out West; they were able to buy land cheaper than they would in the East. Back then the U.S. viewed having land as power and it wanted to advertise how great life would be so people would move out even if it cost the country money; America would do a lot to be seen as a powerful nation.

Page Act

Mar 3, 1875

http://www.asianamericannation.com/page-act.htmlThe Page Act was the first act restricting immigration. It prohibited the entry of immigrants considered "undesirable." In this case it was the Chinese who had come to America to make money and go back home, stealing jobs and not helping the economy.

Chinese Exclusion Act

May 6, 1882

http://sun.menloschool.org/~mbrody/ushistory/angel/exclusion_act/The Chinese Exclusion Act allowed allowed the U.S. to completely suspend Chinese immigration. This act helps set the mindset of a dominant white culture in Americans. It also shows that when the success of Americans is in danger the United States may take back a previous agreement (Treaty of Burlingame); this helps demonstrate how negative feelings flow from one group to another.

Hawaiian Organic Act

Apr 30, 1900

http://www.hawaiiankingdom.org/us-organic-act-1900.shtmlThe Hawaiian Organic Act declared that those who were citizens of the Republic of Hawaii before its annexation in 1898 would become United States citizens. The U.S. showed it would honor their citizens after it take over their land.

Immigration Act of 1917

Feb 5, 1917

http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1917_immigration_act.htmlThe Immigration Act restricted the immigration of other undesirables such as idiots, alcoholics, criminals, the insane, those with contagious diseases, and prostitutes among many others. This act illustrates the way Americans wanted to preserve the greatness of their country and they were not goin to let foreigners take that away.

Immigration Act of 1924

May 26, 1924

http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~ppennock/doc-immigAct.htmThe Immigration Act was a response to rising immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe as well as Asia. This act introduced nationality quotas to America.

Nationality Act of 1940

Oct 14, 1940

http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1940_naturalization_act.htmlThis Nationality Act instills "Nationality at Birth" or "Nationality through Naturalization," meaning those born in the United States would become narual born citizens. This started the trend of immigrants coming into the country to give birth so that they're baby would gain citizenship.

Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Cellar Act)

Oct 3, 1965

http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2008/April/20080423214226eaifas0.9637982.htmlThe Immigration and Nationality Act discontinued quotas based on national origin but preference was given to those with U.S. relatives. This was also the first time Mexican immigration was restricted; negative feelings about Mexican immigrants stems far back in America's history.

Immigration Reform and Control Act

Nov 6, 1986

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500501440The Immigration Reform and Control Act granted path to citizenship to illegal immigrants who had been in the U.S. before 1982. The act made it a crime to hire illegal immigrants, something that is closely monitored today.

REAL ID Act

May 11, 2005

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=REAL_ID_Act_of_2005The REAL ID Act severely restricted habeas corpus relief for immigrants, altered judicial review, and imposed federal restrictions on issuance of state driver's license to immigrants and others. This act shows how difficult it is to gain essentials in everyday life.

Secure Fence Act

Oct 26, 2006

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061026-1.htmlThe Secure Fence Act authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of double-layered fencing along the nation's southern border a lot of which falls in Arizona. It also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to take action to stop the unlawful entry of undocumented immigrants into the U.S. This act shows how much Arizona was impacted by illegal immigration and publicized the action the U.S. was taking to stop it.

Arizona SB 1070

Apr 23, 2010

http://azna.org/summary-of-new-arizona-immigration-law-sb-1070/SB 1070 was signed by Governor Brewer on April 23rd; this Senate Bill made it a state misdemeanor for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying required documents and required state law enforcement officers attempt to determine individual's immigration status during "lawful contact" if suspicion arose. This act sparked split Arizona citizens down the middle, half calling this an act of racial profiling while the other half said this started the path to end illegal immigration.