To what extent was the growing hostility towards immigrants in the 1920s a result of political fears? America was widely believed to be the 'land of opportunity' where people, no matter what they're background or where they came from could come to America and begin a new life. However by 1919 the 'open door policy' that America had was beginning to close and and hostility towards immigrants was increasing. Woodrow Wilson in 1915 spoke of everybody in one nation from different nations coming together and developing into the American man and woman. However, this was not the case.
The immigrants that came to America usually sided with the Democratic-Republican Party. Because of this, part of the Alien and Sedition Acts was the Naturalization Act. This increased the number of years required for immigrants to qualify for U.S citizens from 5 years to 14 years. The federalists adopted these laws because they wanted to stay in power, and since they were aware of the fact that many of the immigrants would vote for their opposing party, this act ensured that they couldn’t vote. George Washington
This was made evident by the 1917 Immigration Act, which stated that men over 16 who could not read were forbidden from entry. This was clearly unfair because tests were in English and many immigrants could only speak their native language. This showed the increasingly racist attitudes many Americans felt towards the subject of immigration in the 1920s. One of the ways in which the government sought to control immigration was through legislation. The 1921 Immigration Act limited immigration to 3% p.a.
Aftermath of World War 1 unleashed the red scare. Nativism rose and led to the passing of many anti-immigration laws. The original Ku Klux Klan had died, but during this time period a new one had emerged. The movement to ban alcohol caused became a national policy and upset many Americans. The technological and cultural changes ushered in the modern world.
• As a result of the Salmon report they recognised they should control the immigration leading to them introducing the commonwealth immigration act 1962 to control immigration into Britain. Many people saw it as being racist as it would restrict entrants of their ethnic origins. • The Labour party opposed the Commonwealth Immigration act but in 1968 imposed their own. Both parties accepted they needed to limit the number of foreigners allowed to immigrate to England. As a result of the Immigration act the two years before it was put into place people fled to England in a hurry which led to many people wanting a full block of the number of those entering.
Due to Japans global power and presence, the US did not want to harshly enforce an exclusion act; rather both sides signed a Gentleman’s Agreement that terminated the flow of Japanese laborers, but allowed for the immigration of Japanese woman. South Asian Indians were excluded in 1917 with the passage of an immigration act which established the Asian barred zone, a geographical region, mainly comprising East, South, Southeast Asia, the Asian part of Russia and parts of Persia, from which immigration was no longer allowed. (Walter 2007). In the famous case of Ozawa v. U.S. (1922), Takao Ozawa argues that not only has he lived in the US his whole life, but he also sent his children to American schools and taught them only English, and was not familiar (or familiarized his children) with Japanese customs or language. The Supreme Court ultimately held that Ozawa was not eligible because [T]he intention [of the naturalization acts from 1790 on] was to confer the privilege of citizenship upon that class of persons whom the fathers knew as white, and to deny it to all who could not be so
This increased the number of years required for immigrants to qualify for U.S citizens from 5 years to 14 years. The federalists adopted these laws because they wanted to stay in power, and since they were aware of the fact that many of the immigrants would vote for their opposing party, this act ensured that they couldn’t vote. George Washington thought that immigration could help unite the country as a whole if there was an intermixture of cultures. (Doc. A) What is ironic is that Jefferson, one of the men who was most apposed of the Alien and Sedition Acts, looked down on immigration.
America was just starting out as a new country, and their foreign policy was not yet strong enough to protect itself. The Alien and Sedition Acts helped to limit foreign influence by encouraging deportation of foreigners from America. Some worried America faced not only a powerful enemy abroad, but also a threatening undercurrent of opposition at home. Hoping to strengthen the nation during war, and at the same time crush their political rivals, the Federalist Party in power passed these four acts. Deep divisions in politics combined with distrust in foreign nations and growing domestic turmoil paved the way for the passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts by the Federalists.
The massive number of European immigrants that entered into America’s east coast from the late 1800’s and on forever influenced the growth and development of the country. Fleeing crop failure, famine, rising taxes, and land/job shortages, many immigrants journeyed to the United States because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity. With hope for a brighter future, nearly 27 million immigrants arrived in the United States between 1880 and 1920. The majority of the immigrants entered through Ellis Island, leading it to become the gateway to America and become recognized as a national symbol. Many of the immigrants, not knowing the way America worked, didn’t stray too far from the East Coast and moved into areas filled with people of similar languages, traditions, and beliefs.
Conclusively, America entered the Great War because of a variety of reasons. They were partially influenced by the Germans to enter the war, although they were also influenced by the possibility of economic collapsed. America tried to follow Washington's advice when he said to stay out of war, but America would only be able to stay isolated for so long, and they were influenced enough to break away and enter world-wide relationships were