Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act, also known as the Johnson Reed Act, was established in 1924 to prevent the great influx of people from Asia to immigrate to the United States. The uncertainty of a breach in national security after World War I made it possible for Congress to pass the new law and was signed by President Calvin Coolidge. It was considered one of the most stringent immigration laws passed in the United States.1 This strict new law applied a new literary test that required incoming immigrants from Asia over 16 years of age to have writing comprehension of any language. 1 Along with the literary test, new restrictions on certain geographic areas were restricted access to the U.S. 1 This new zone was appropriately named the “Asiatic Barred Zone” as Asians were mostly targeted in the act. The countries not included within the Asiatic Barred Zone were Japan and the Philippines. The Philippines were considered part of the United States making immigrants actually U.S. citizens, therefore allowing free travel between the two countries. The Chinese was not included within the Asiatic Barred Zone as the immigration from China had already drastically reduced by the Chinese Exclusion act. Although Japan was not part of the Asiatic Barred Zone the Immigration act provided a “provision excluding from entry any alien who by virtue of race or nationality was ineligible for citizenship”. This meant that Japan too was excluded from immigration to America as well. As a result, Japan and the U.S. had strained relations as it violated the gentleman’s agreement which was established during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. Previously, the two percent rule held the quota of how many immigrants could migrate to the U.S. yearly. By imposing the Immigration Act, the two percent rule was discarded and only 150,000 immigrants were allowed every year from the original 350,000 immigrants. Although many people disagreed with the Act and wanted a higher quota of immigrants entering the United States, the congress upheld the law. During this time, many people were emigrating out of the America to fill in the displacement within Europe. Another use of the Johnson Reed Act was to use it to preserve American Homogeneity.
McCarthyism and the McCarthy Trials
McCarthyism is the name given to the hunt of the feared communist people within the United States. Another name it was given was known as the McCarthy Witch Hunt. McCarthyism began on February 9th, 1915 and ended on October of 1953. The wide search for Communism within the United States started a scare that led many to believe national security was in danger. The escalating fear of communism was started by Joseph McCarthy who believed to have a list of over 200 communist people within the infrastructure of the United States government. McCarthy was given power to investigate and look into all supposed communist people and was named chairman of the government committee on operations of the senate. His position served mainly to snuff out communism within the government. The event became to be known as the Red Scare.
“Coolidge signs stringent immigration law,” The History Channel website, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coolidge-signs-stringent-immigration-law (accessed Nov 13, 2013).
Sixty-Eighth Congress, H.R. Rep. No. 68, 1st Session, at 153 (1924) (Conf. Rep.).
United States Department of State. "The Immigration Act of 1924 (The Johnson-Reed Act)." U.S. Department of State Office Historian. Accessed November 13, 2013. http://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/immigration-act.
The Immigration Act, also known as the Johnson Reed Act, was established in 1924 to prevent the great influx of people from Asia to immigrate to the United States. The uncertainty of a breach in national security after World War I made it possible for Congress to pass the new law and was signed by President Calvin Coolidge. It was considered one of the most stringent immigration laws passed in the United States.1 This strict new law applied a new literary test that required incoming immigrants from Asia over 16 years of age to have writing comprehension of any language. 1 Along with the literary test, new restrictions on certain geographic areas were restricted access to the U.S. 1 This new zone was appropriately named the “Asiatic Barred Zone” as Asians were mostly targeted in the act. The countries not included within the Asiatic Barred Zone were Japan and the Philippines. The Philippines were considered part of the United States making immigrants actually U.S. citizens, therefore allowing free travel between the two countries. The Chinese was not included within the Asiatic Barred Zone as the immigration from China had already drastically reduced by the Chinese Exclusion act. Although Japan was not part of the Asiatic Barred Zone the Immigration act provided a “provision excluding from entry any alien who by virtue of race or nationality was ineligible for citizenship”. This meant that Japan too was excluded from immigration to America as well. As a result, Japan and the U.S. had strained relations as it violated the gentleman’s agreement which was established during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. Previously, the two percent rule held the quota of how many immigrants could migrate to the U.S. yearly. By imposing the Immigration Act, the two percent rule was discarded and only 150,000 immigrants were allowed every year from the original 350,000 immigrants. Although many people disagreed with the Act and wanted a higher quota of immigrants entering the United States, the congress upheld the law. During this time, many people were emigrating out of the America to fill in the displacement within Europe. Another use of the Johnson Reed Act was to use it to preserve American Homogeneity.
McCarthyism and the McCarthy Trials
McCarthyism is the name given to the hunt of the feared communist people within the United States. Another name it was given was known as the McCarthy Witch Hunt. McCarthyism began on February 9th, 1915 and ended on October of 1953. The wide search for Communism within the United States started a scare that led many to believe national security was in danger. The escalating fear of communism was started by Joseph McCarthy who believed to have a list of over 200 communist people within the infrastructure of the United States government. McCarthy was given power to investigate and look into all supposed communist people and was named chairman of the government committee on operations of the senate. His position served mainly to snuff out communism within the government. The event became to be known as the Red Scare.
“Coolidge signs stringent immigration law,” The History Channel website, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coolidge-signs-stringent-immigration-law (accessed Nov 13, 2013).
Sixty-Eighth Congress, H.R. Rep. No. 68, 1st Session, at 153 (1924) (Conf. Rep.).
United States Department of State. "The Immigration Act of 1924 (The Johnson-Reed Act)." U.S. Department of State Office Historian. Accessed November 13, 2013. http://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/immigration-act.