- Nativist sentiments were prevalent in the United States during the 1920s, particularly after World War I. Concerns arose about preserving the "American way of life" and protecting the perceived sociocultural homogeneity of the country.
- Anti-immigration sentiment targeted specific ethnic groups, primarily from Eastern and Southern Europe, who were perceived as different from the traditional Anglo-Saxon Protestant majority.
2. Economic Factors:
- The United States experienced an economic recession in the 1920s, leading to rising unemployment rates. Many Americans believed that immigrants were competing with native workers for jobs and lowering wages.
3. Social Issues:
- Prohibition and organized crime were significant issues during this period. Some politicians and members of the public associated immigrants with these social problems, leading to fears that uncontrolled immigration would result in increased lawlessness and societal disorder.
4. Eugenics and Racial Theories:
- Misguided ideas about race and eugenics influenced immigration policies. Some policymakers embraced pseudoscientific notions that certain ethnic and racial groups were inherently inferior and that their presence could "dilute" the perceived purity of the American population.
5. Quota System and National Origins Act of 1924:
- In response to the concerns mentioned above, Congress implemented more restrictive immigration policies. The Quota System of 1921 set limits on the number of immigrants allowed from specific countries, favoring those from Northern and Western Europe.
- The National Origins Act of 1924 further formalized this system by basing immigration quotas on the 1890 census. This disproportionately favored countries with lower immigration rates at that time, further restricting immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.
These changes in immigration laws during the 1920s marked a shift towards exclusionary policies and significantly reduced immigration levels until the revision of immigration laws in the 1960s.