U.S. Immigration Debate

The issue of immigration has been one of the central debates among the mass of American politicians and their respective constituents, since the mid-1800's, with the influx of new immigrants from Asia and Western Europe. According to studies concluded by M.R. Davie, I. Glazier, and L. DeRosa; and a separate study conducted by V.N. Sinha, D.R. Steiner, and A. Richmond, in the time period between 1820 and 1930, "the United States received about 60% of the world's immigrants". One of the leading causes for this dramatic increase in immigration to the United States, was the vast available land and superior means of transportation.

As immigration to the United States continued to increase, the U.S. Congress decided that it was time to institute measures to attempt to limit the amount of people that would be allowed into the country in order to retain a permanent residence. This measure was known as the "first permanent quota law", and it was implemented in 1924. The primary immigration factors within this quota law often were race or (former) nationality. Later, as a result of the unsuccessful attempt to reduce the continuing population growth, Congress furnished the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1952; race ceased to be considered to be a factor any longer, however nationality still was. An amendment was passed in 1965 that removed the nationality criteria.