Chapter 24 AP American History from www.slideshare.net

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 - The First Step to Restrict Immigration

A Brief Introduction

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was the first law to restrict immigration into the United States. It was signed into law by President Warren G. Harding and became effective on May 19, 1921.

The Purpose of the Act

The purpose of the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was to limit the number of immigrants allowed to enter the United States from any one country. This was done to reduce the number of immigrants coming from certain countries, such as Southern and Eastern Europe, and to limit the number of immigrants from other countries, such as Japan and China.

How it Worked

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 set a limit on the number of immigrants allowed to enter the United States from any one country. This limit was determined by a three-year average of the number of immigrants from that country who had entered the United States in the previous years. This was known as the "national origins quota system."

The Impact of the Act

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 had a major impact on the immigration patterns of the United States. It drastically reduced the number of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as from Japan and China. This act was seen as a way to protect the American labor market from the influx of immigrants from certain countries.

The End of the Act

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was replaced by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. This act ended the national origins quota system and was seen as a major step forward in the development of immigration policy in the United States.

Conclusion

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was the first law to restrict immigration into the United States. It was an important milestone in the development of immigration policy in the United States, as it marked the beginning of the restriction of immigration from certain countries. The act was replaced by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended the national origins quota system and was seen as a major step forward in the development of immigration policy in the United States.