Insights from Immigration History
The massive influx of the Chinese into the USA in the mid-19th century during the gold rush era demonstrates how well news was transmitted even without modern technology. At the same time, the citizens of China will subsequently be banned from entering the country, legalized by the Exclusion Act, and this fact proves a change in socio-political interests. The United States, being a country in which the slave trade previously flourished, became a home for many refugees at the beginning of the 20th century, and this fact is also interesting as one confirming a change in the course of the country’s development.
Overview of a Significant Immigration Act
The aforementioned Chinese Exclusion Act, signed in 1882, was intended to halt Chinese migration to the United States due to its excessive influx. This regulation was the only one in American history that was directed at a specific ethnic group. The 1891 Immigration Act, in turn, aimed to control the wave of immigration by restricting the entry of specific categories of visitors, including criminals, contagious foreigners, fraudsters, and some other categories. With the help of this Act, moral and ethical values in society were promoted, and the system of national legislation was relaxed due to the need to reduce control measures.
The Quotas from the Immigration Act of 1924
While assessing the quotas provided as per the 1924 Immigration Act, one can note that people from Great Britain and Northern Ireland had the most privileges, largely due to the alliance during World War I. Notably, the number of quotas for the Western Hemisphere was unlimited. In the modern world, the situation is radically opposite, which is due to the excessive influx of Latin American refugees. The history of US immigration is full of ambiguities, but today’s nation cannot deny the great role that newcomers have had on modern life and value systems.