Immigration in 20 Years

Justin Uzzle

Teacher Dave Olah

AP U.S history

1-14-16

Immigration in twenty years

On February 5, 1917 the U.S. Congress enacted the first widely restrictive immigration law, also known as the Asiatic Barred zone Act. The uncertainty generated over national security during World War 1, it made it possible for congress to pass the legislation. Also it statied in article 2 paragraph 1, “It included several important provisions that paved the way for the 1924 Act.” The Act was to regulate the immigration of aliens to, and the residence of aliens in the United States. It added to the number of undesirables banned from entering the country. Basically it barred all immigrants over the age of sixteen who was illiterate. The reason why the act was also called the “Asiatic Barred zone,” is because a it was a region that included much of Asia and the Pacific Islands from which people could not immigrate. Described throughout the Immigration Act are many penalties and fines for violating the laws written within. Overall the Immigration Act of 1917 was intended to tighten the restrictions on those entering the country, especially from the area of Asia and surrounding countries and those with mental and physical handicaps. But throughout the Unites States history there has been many Immigration Laws put in place to protect the people of the U.S. But we will see how some immigration laws that the Unities States passed, and how immigration will look in the future.

The immigration act of 1917 can also be related to the Chinese Exclusion Act. The reason being is because The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882. In article 3 paragraph 5 it stated, “It was one of the most significant restrictions on free immigration in US history, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers.” The chinese Exclusion Act was the first law mainly to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States. The Act required the few non laborers who sought entry to obtain certification from the chinese government that they were qualified to immigrate. But that made it unfair because it was hard to prove that they weren’t labor. The Act didn’t just affect the Chinese trying to get in the United States, but affected the ones that’s already living there. Any Chinese who left the United States had to obtain certifications for reentry, and the Act made Chinese immigrants permanent aliens by excluding them from United States citizenship.

Another important Immigration law the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907, it was a formal agreement between the United States and the Empire of Japan. It stated in article 4 paragraph 3, “The agreement was that the United States would not impose restriction on Japanese immigration, and Japan would not allow further emigration to the United States.” The goal of the law was to reduce tensions between the two powerful pacific nations. The agreement was never ratified by congress, and was ended by the Immigration Act of 1924. The Immigration Act of 1984 was a United States federal law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any other country to 2 percent of the number of people from that country who were already living