Immigration

Objective: compare the KKK,

and immigration quotas to the
Americanization movement
 Social Tensions Review
(ch.26)

• Rise in immigration
after World War I
• Increase of
Immigrants from
Eastern and
Southern Europe
(Poland, USSR, Italy,
Greece)
 Immigratio
n immigration pattern
After the war, “new”
resumed, but based more on isolationist
ideas.
Emergency Quota Act of 1921: restricted
immigration to 3% of nationality living in U.S.
as of 1910 – relatively favorable to new
immigrant groups such as Mexicans and
Germans. Whoa
How does this Elmer!
Act reflect
isolationist
What did
views? you eat?
Would the KKK
support this
Act? Why or
why not?
Is this Act
morally
acceptable to
you? Why or
why not?
 Immigratio
n
In 1921, the Act was replaced by Immigration Act
of 1924: cut quota to 2%, and based it on 1890
population.
Why would this change be
made?
Keep the number of immigrants low but
maintain a U.S. culture dominated by
Western/Northern
The Europeans.
Act also barred any Japanese immigration,
but exempted Canadians & Latin Americans for
work purposes.
Why bar Japanese from
entering the country?

By 1931, more foreigners

left U.S. than arrived.
What other factors besides the Immigration Acts may
account for this reversal in immigration/emigration.
 Immigrati
on
The immigrant tide was now cut off,
but those that were in America
struggled to adapt.
Immigrants
continued to
make up a large Italian German
portion of the section section
work
What force.
impact
would you
expect this to
have on labor
unions? in
Differences
race, culture, and There’s Locke’s
nationality made great-grandfather.
it difficult for (You can see the
unions to family resemblance
In the forehead
organize, hurting Irish region.)
•The U.S. Government began to restrict
certain “undesirable” immigrants from
entering the U.S.
•Congress passed the Emergency
Quota Act of 1921 and Immigration Act
of 1924
• Kept out immigrants from
southeastern Europe.
 •The U.S. Government began to restrict
certain “undesirable” immigrants from
entering the U.S.

•Congress passed the Emergency Quota

Act of 1921 , in which newcomers from
Europe were restricted at any year to a quota,
which was set at 3% of the people of their
nationality who lived in the U.S. in 1910.

•Immigration Act of 1924 , the quota down

to 2% and the origins base was shifted to that
of 1890, when few southeastern Europeans
Cartoon from 1919:
“Put them out and
keep them out”
 Anti-immigrant Culture
• Despite national culture and
rising consumption rates, social
and ethnic tensions remained
• Post-World War I fears and
hatred continued
• Red Scare, Alien & Sedition
• Advertisements and mass
communication distributed fears
across the country
 Anti-Immigrant Fears

• Sons of the Golden

West
• Japanese Exclusion
League
• KKK
• Border Patrol
• Texas and Arizona
Rangers
 Construction of Racial Difference > Supreme Court
Decisions
In re Balsara, 1909 Asian Indians are probably not White Congressional
intent
U.S. v. Dolla, 1910 Asian Indians are White Inspection of skin
U.S. v. Balsara 1910 Asian Indians are White Scientific evidence 
In re Sadar Bhagwab Singh, 1917 Asian Indians are not White Common knowledge 
Congressional intent

In re Mohan Singh, 1919 Asian Indians are White Scientific evidence 

In re Thind, 1920 Asian Indians are White Legal precedent
U.S. v. Thind, 1923 Asian Indians are not White Common knowledge 
Congressional intent

In re Najour, 1909 Syrians are White Scientific evidence

In re Mudarri, 1910 Syrians are White Scientific evidence 
Legal precedent

In re Ellis, 1910 Syrians are White Common knowledge 

Congressional intent

Ex parte Shahid, 1913 Syrians are not White Common knowledge

Ex parte Dow, 1914 Syrians are not White Common knowledge
In re Dow, 1914 Syrians are not White Common knowledge 
Congressional intent

Dow v. U.S., 1915 Syrians are White Scientific evidence 

Congressional intent 
Legal precedent
 Construction of Racial Difference > Supreme Court
Decisions
re Mallari, 1916 Filipinos are not White No explanation
re Rallos, 1917 Filipinos are not White Legal precedent
S. v. Javier, 1927 Filipinos are not White Legal precedent
e La Ysla v. U.S., 1935 Filipinos are not White Legal precedent
e Cano v. State, 1941 Filipinos are not White Legal precedent

re Halladjian, 1909 Armenians are White Scientific evidence 

Legal precedent
S. v. Cartozian, 1925 Armenians are White Scientific evidence 
Common knowledge  
Legal precedent

re Feroz Din, 1928 Afghanis are not White Common knowledge

re Ahmed Hassan, 1942 Arabians are not White Common knowledge 

parte Mohriez, 1944 Arabians are not White Legal precedent
Construction of Racial Difference > U.S. v Bhagat Singh
Thind, 1923
Immigration Restriction > Annual Immigration Quotas,
1924

• Germany - 51,227

• Great Britain - 34,007

• Ireland - 28,567

• Italy - 3,845

• Hungary - 473

• Greece - 100

• Egypt - 100
Texas Rangers, 1915-
1919
Stemming the Foreign Flood
A. After the World War,
South Eastern
European
immigration rose
600%
B. “100% Americans”
Did not like this
C. The first political
party against
immigration was the
Know Nothing Party
Stemming the Foreign Flood
D. Emergency Quota Act of
1921 limited the number of
immigrants who could be
admitted from any country
to 3% of the number of
persons from that country
living in the United States
in 1910
E. Johnson Reid Act, or
Immigration Act of 1924,
changed the 1921 act to
1890 census and changed
the limit from 3% to 2%.
Stemming the Foreign Food
F. The Immigration
Act of 1929 further
changed the law
because it limited
the total
immigration to
152,574.
Stemming the Foreign Flood
G. In 1965, the national-
origins system was
abolished by
Congress.
H. The Emergency Quota
Act of 1921, Johnson
Reid Act of 1924, and
the Immigration Act of
1929 were known as
the National Origins
system.
Stemming the Foreign Flood
I. The system favored
Western European
over Eastern
European. Japanese
Immigration was
completely shut off
while the law allowed
unlimited immigration
from Canada and
Central America.
 Nativism and Racism
• Eugenics movement – false scientific
movement that deals with the ability to
improve hereditary traits.
• Social Darwinism in its scientific form. Human
inequalities are inherited and the ending of the
procreation of the “unfit” and “inferior.”
–Forced sterilization of African American
women
 Political Cartoons – On
Immigration
1921 2007
                               
 Rise of KKK

Objective: compare the KKK,

and immigration quotas to the
Americanization movement
KKK and the Immigration Restriction

• The name was

constructed by
combining the Greek
"kuklos" (circle) with
"clan." It was at first a
humorous social club
centering on practical
jokes and hazing rituals
but soon spread into
nearly every Southern
state, launching a "reign
of terror" against
Republican leaders both
black and white.
 Conflicts over Values
• Americans lived in larger communities, which produced a shift in
values, or a person’s key beliefs and ideas.
• In the 1920s, many people in urban areas had values that differed
from those in rural areas.
– Rural America represented the traditional spirit of hard work,
self-reliance, religion, and independence.
– Cities represented changes that threatened those values.
• The Ku Klux Klan grew dramatically in the 1920s, and many of its
members were people from rural America who saw their status
declining.
– Members of the Klan continued to use violence, targeting
African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and all immigrants.
– In the 1920s, the Klan focused on influencing politics.
– The Klan’s membership was mostly in the South but spread
nationwide.
– The Klan’s peak membership was in the millions, many from
Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.
– Membership declined in the late 1920s because of a series of
scandals affecting Klan leaders.
 KKK
• The KKK was a big
problem during the
1920’s because they
would terrorize
people.
• The Klan boycotted
Jewish merchants,
destroyed their
stores and burned
crosses in front of
their Synagogues.
 Media ,Propaganda & Gov
• There were numerous
attacks on Jews during
these times through
the media.
• Henry Ford’s news
paper article, “Protocols
of the Elders of Zion”.
• There was propaganda
made, making fun of
the way Jews looked.
Immigration Restriction > Ku Klux Klan Marching in DC
Virginia, 1928
The KKK
• Targeted and
terrorized the ‘un-
American’
• Gained strong
political influence
during the 1920s
Violence
• The KKK started ~1867.
• In the 1920s they expand their
targets to include:
– Blacks
– Immigrants
– Catholics
– Jews
• The leader (Imperial wizard) in
the 1920’s was Hiram Wesley
Evans.
• The KKK was most violent
during this period of time; 70
lynched in 1919
• KKK marched in Washington
DC
• Race riots occurred in the
North as well (Chicago 38
killed, 500 injured)
 Background Information
• Lynching-
– Definition: To execute without
due process of law, especially
to hang, as by a mob.
THE KLAN RISES AGAIN
• As the Red Scare
and anti-immigrant
attitudes reached a
peak, the KKK was
more popular than
ever
• By 1924, the Klan
had 4.5 million
members
 The Rebirth of the KKK
• Anti • Pro
– Foreign
– Catholic – Anglo-
– Black Saxon
– Jewish – ”Native”
– Pacifist
– Communist
– Protestan
– Internationist t
– Anti-
Evolutionalist
– Bootlegger
– Gambling
– Adultery
– Birth Control
During the 1920s, the
Ku Klux Klan, which
had been all but
wiped out during
Reconstruction,
underwent a large-
scale
• KKK revivial.
revival was more “nativist” than
just antiblack.
What does that mean?
• At peak in mid-20s it had 5 Million
members with large political influence,
especially in the Midwest and South.
• KKK used secrecy, parades, lynchings,
burning of crosses, rally songs, and
other events to advance their agenda.
KKK collapsed suddenly in late
20s
•Terror tactics
eventually turned off
most Americans.
• Embezzlement became
widespread throughout
the organization.
• A Congressional Most historians
investigation showed credit the fraud
that the organization within the
was basically a organization for the
membership fee racket. downfall, not the
reaction to the
(Similar to a Pyramid
Why would it take corruption to decrease
violence.
 IKA
Imperia
l Klans
of
Americ
a
 The Re-emergence of the Ku
Klux Klan
• Original KKK response to emancipation of
the slaves
• Re-emergence included hatred towards
Catholics, Jews, and Immigrants.
• Public Relations campaign claiming that the
Klan was fighting for “Americanism”
solicited 4 million members nationwide
–See Political cartoon
Klan in the 1920s > Social Movements Supported by the
Klan

• prohibition

• anti-immigrant sentiments

• anti-radicalism

• religious fundamentalism

• morality and family values

Klan in the 1920s > Different Historical Explanations of the
Klan

• racist and nativist movement

• populist movement

• reform movement

• reactionary movement
 The Ku Klux Klan
Great increase Anti-black

In power Anti-immigrant

Anti-Semitic

Anti-Catholic

Anti-women’s suffrage

Anti-bootleggers