The 1921 quota law locked in racial composition as nationality limits

Evidence

Although adopted as very temporary legislation, the law of 1921 proved in the long run the most important turning-point in American immigration policy. It imposed the first sharp and absolute numerical limits on European immigration. It established a nationality quota system based on the pre-existing composition of the American population—an idea which has survived in one form or an-. other through all subsequent legislation. It ensured especially that the new immigration could not reach more than a small fraction of its prewar level. Above all, the policy now adopted meant that in a generation the foreign-born would cease to be a major factor in American history. — John Higham, Strangers in the Land, 1878

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the nationality quota system’s core mechanics — quotas pegged to the pre-existing ‘stock’ of each nationality.
• XREF: connects to: The 1924 quota law deliberately favored Northwestern European immigrants — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 244; The 1924 Immigration Act’s national quotas were driven by scientific racism — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 243; Race historically shaped national population membership and its exclusions — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 1773 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• The 1924 Immigration Act’s national quotas were driven by scientific racism #expands (0.80) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 243
• IQ testing legitimated the US 1924 Immigration Act’s racial exclusion #expands (0.75)
• Whiteness was the legal prerequisite for US citizenship from 1790 to 1952 #expands (0.75) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 178
• Race historically shaped national population membership and its exclusions #expands (0.72) — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 1773
• The 1924 quota law deliberately favored Northwestern European immigrants #complicates (0.70) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 244
• The 1790 Naturalization Act drew a racial color line excluding Black people from citizenship #expands (0.70) — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 695