APUSH Immagration Unit

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

First federal law to bar a specific nationality from immigrating. Suspended Chinese labor immigration, denied naturalization, and marked the start of race-based federal immigration restriction.

Page Act (1875)

Targeted Chinese and Asian women under the claim of preventing "immoral" immigration. Functioned as an early exclusion law by effectively blocking most Chinese women from entering.

Geary Act (1892)

Extended Chinese exclusion and required Chinese residents to carry certificates of registration. Allowed summary arrest and deportation without typical due-process protections.

Ting v. United States (1893)

Upheld the Geary Act. Confirmed that Congress has plenary power over immigration and deportation, allowing severe restrictions and minimal constitutional protections for noncitizens.

Ozawa v. United States (1922)

Ruled that persons of Japanese descent were not "white" and therefore ineligible for naturalization under racial eligibility requirements.

Thind v. United States (1923)

Held that even though South Asians could be considered "Caucasian" by anthropological categories, they were not "white" as understood by common public opinion and were therefore barred from naturalization.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Upheld the mass removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. Accepted broad executive authority in the name of national security despite racial targeting.

Emergency Immigration Act (1921)

Established temporary national-origins quotas, limiting immigration to 3% of each nationality based on the 1910 census. Began formal numerical restriction of immigration.

National Origins Act (1924)

Made the quota system permanent and more restrictive, reducing quotas to 2% based on the 1890 census to favor northern and western European immigration. Also barred all immigration from Asia.

Colonial Immigration (1640-1760)

English, Scots, Irish, German

Old Immigration (1820-1850)

German, English, Irish*

New Immigration (1880-1924)

Eastern and Southern European---Russia, Polish, Slavic, Jewish, Greek, Italian, (Asian Discrimination)

Contemporary Immigration (1965-2025)

Chinese, Korean, Indian, Latin American, Mexican

Anti-Catholicism in the United States

Anti-Catholicism grew from early Protestant suspicion of the Catholic Church and intensified with 19th-century immigration from Ireland, Germany, and later Southern/Eastern Europe. It shaped laws, politics, and education debates as native-born Protestants viewed Catholic immigrants as culturally and politically threatening.

A Plea for the West (Beecher, 1835)

Beecher warned that Catholic immigrants and clergy threatened American Protestant values, especially in the expanding West. His speech reflects early nativist fear that immigration would reshape the nation's religious character.

Ursuline Convent Riots (1834)

A Protestant mob burned a Catholic convent near Boston after rumors and rising anti-Catholic sentiment. The event signaled growing hostility toward Catholic institutions linked to immigrant populations.

Philadelphia Nativist Riots (1844)

Violence broke out between nativists and Irish Catholics over school Bible use and political power. Several churches and neighborhoods were destroyed, showing how immigration tensions could erupt into major urban conflict.

Know-Nothing Party (1850s)

This nativist political party opposed immigration and especially targeted Catholics, aiming to restrict naturalization and immigrant political influence. It reflected widespread fears that new immigrants threatened American culture.

Irish Immigration & "No Irish Need Apply"

Irish immigrants faced discrimination tied to poverty, Catholicism, and ethnic stereotypes. The "No Irish Need Apply" phrase—whether rare or common—captures how many Irish remembered exclusion during early waves of immigration.

Nativism

Nativism is the belief that native-born citizens should be favored over immigrants, often causing distrust of groups seen as culturally or religiously different. In the U.S., it frequently targeted Catholic immigrant groups and influenced politics and public attitudes.

Bloody Monday (1855)

On August 6, 1855, nativist mobs in Louisville attacked Irish and German Catholic neighborhoods during an election. The violence killed and injured many people and showed how anti-immigrant sentiment could erupt into deadly conflict.

Interlopers

People seen as outsiders or intruders within a society or group. In U.S. history, immigrants were often labeled "interlopers" by nativists who believed newcomers threatened American jobs or culture.

Religious Bigotry

Intolerance toward people of different religious beliefs. In the 19th century, Catholics faced discrimination from Protestant-majority groups who saw them as "un-American."

Naturalization Act of 1790

The first U.S. law defining who could become a citizen, which restricted naturalization to "free white persons." It set a precedent for racialized immigration policy.

Cultural Chauvinism

The belief that one's culture is superior to others. For example, Anglo-American elites often viewed immigrant cultures as inferior and pressured newcomers to adopt "mainstream" American norms.

Causes of Nativism

Rooted in fear of economic competition, religious or racial prejudice, and cultural insecurity. Periods of high immigration, such as the 1850s, often intensified nativist movements, including the Know-Nothings.

Japanese Internment

During World War II, over 120,000 Japanese Americans (mostly U.S. citizens) were forcibly relocated to internment camps under Executive Order 9066 after Pearl Harbor. This reflected wartime racism and fear rather than evidence of disloyalty.

Anti-Chinese Sentiments

Widespread racism toward Chinese immigrants in the 19th century was often linked to labor competition. It led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first U.S. law banning immigration based on nationality.

Irish-Catholic Immigration

Millions of Irish immigrants came to the U.S. during and after the Great Famine (1845-1852). Their Catholic faith and poverty made them targets of discrimination.

Anti-Irish Sentiments

Nativists saw Irish immigrants as drunk, lazy, and loyal to the Pope rather than America. Political cartoons and job signs ("No Irish Need Apply") reflected this widespread prejudice.

Push Factors

"Push" factors drive people from their homelands (famine, war, persecution).

Pull Factors

"Pull" factors attract them elsewhere (jobs, freedom, opportunity).

Melting Pot Theory

The idea that immigrants blend into a single, unified American culture. While idealistic, it often ignored the reality that many groups were pressured to erase their heritage rather than truly integrate.

Assimilation

The process of adapting to the dominant culture's norms, language, and values. It can bring social acceptance but often involves a loss of cultural identity for immigrant communities.

Attitudes Regarding Immigration Today

Modern debates focus on border security, undocumented immigration, and cultural diversity. Public opinion is divided: many support immigration's economic benefits, while others fear cultural or job displacement.

Food as Change / Ugly Delicious

Chef David Chang's series Ugly Delicious uses food to explore how cultures mix, evolve, and challenge stereotypes. Food becomes a metaphor for immigration, identity, and shared humanity.

"Parents" Episode - Master of None

Aziz Ansari's episode highlights the immigrant experience through his and co-creator Alan Yang's parents' stories — showing sacrifice, generational gaps, and gratitude often unseen by second-generation Americans.

How to Change People's Prejudice

Social psychology research shows that meaningful interaction between groups, education, and empathy-building can reduce bias. Studies find that personal storytelling and cooperation toward shared goals are particularly effective.