TOPIC 7.8: CulTural & Political Controversies of the Twenties

Contextualizing The 1924 Immigration Act: The Most racist Immigration Law in History?

KC-7.2.II.A.ii After WW I, nativist campaigns against some ethnic groups led to the passage of quotas that restricted immigration…increased barriers to Asian immigration.

KC-7.2.I.D In the 1920s, cultural and political controversies emerged as Americans debated… issues related to race and immigration.

Objective 1: Students will evaluate changes and continuities in immigration law from 1790 to 1924.
Objective 2: Students will be able to explain the relationship between racism and immigration policy.

Antiracism in the US history classroom:

“We need to talk about xenophobia…its more than just prejudice and bigotry, in the United States it has been built into our laws, our politics, and even the very definition of who counts as an American...our immigration history reflects both America’s promise and also it’s failures. This was true when our country was first founded, and it's true today…(learning about) these stories has the power to change the way we think about immigration and challenge xenophobia and racism.” - Historian, Dr. Erika Lee

The history of U.S. immigration policy is steeped in racism and the failure of our education system to properly deal with this fact makes our society susceptible to the harmful and continual influence of racist nativism on our political system. The same racist rhetoric from the eugenicists of the Immigration Restriction League that filled K.K.K. pamphlets and inspired Adolf Hitler are still routinely repeated by modern American politicians. As American history teachers, it is our duty to bring this harmful legacy out into the open so that it can be properly processed by the next generation.

Notes

Three days on immigration in the middle of the already jam packed 1920s unit? YES! Our students deserve complex understanding of the roots of American immigration policy. The content is necessary knowledge for 21st century citizenship. Students always benefit from review and day 1 takes them through some key turning points of the 19th century that led to changes in immigration policy. Our students should already be familiar with nativism, Know-Nothings, the Mexican American War, and the Chinese Immigration Ban but it is very helpful for them to put it all together in a one day review lesson. Days two and three of this activity focus on changes in early 20th century American society, from “New Wave” immigration, through the pressures of World War 1, the Red Scare, and resurgence of the K.K.K. Day three concludes with the very popular format of the T-Q-A class discussion (Thoughts-Questions-”A-Ha” moments). That being said, teachers can use these materials in a variety of ways. The first day’s materials can be used earlier in the curriculum as a conclusion to 19th-century immigration issues. The second day’s documents could be used as a single DBQ.