The Antiracist Origin of the Quota System

• Published in: Social research Vol. 77; no. 1; pp. 45 - 78
• Main Authors: Ly, Son-Thierry, Weil, Patrick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, New School for Social Research 22.03.2010; Johns Hopkins University Press; New School for Social Research
• Subjects: 20th century; Activism; Chinese languages; Citizenship; Civil Service; Congressional committees; Diplomatic & consular services; Emergencies; Emigration and immigration law; Eugenics; Genetic engineering; Husbands; Immigrants; Immigration; Immigration law; Immigration legislation; Immigration Policy; Immigration quotas; Interpretation and construction; Law; Literacy; Nationalism; Nativism; Noncitizens; Patten, James; Policy Making; Political debate; Quotas; Race; Racial discrimination; Racism; Senators; Social research; Theology; Twentieth Century; Ward, Robert; Work quotas; United States; Vermont; New York; Washington DC; Chicago Illinois; United States > US; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 0037-783X; 1944-768X; 1944-768X
• DOI: 10.1353/sor.2010.0066

U.S. immigration policies history in the early 20th century has mostly been thought through the linear growing power of restrictionists versus liberals, resulting in 1917 Burnett law - containing the literacy test - and then 1921 and 1924 Quota laws. The latter has been described by scholars as the product of direct influence of Eugenist activists (King) or of Eugenists mixed with Racists (Tichenor). Yet, the thorough study of the policy process permit to trace the origin of the quota laws in the mind of a key civil servant: William Walter Husband and in the activism of Sydney L. Gulick, a theology professor who spent his whole life searching for quelling American-Japanese relations. The latter conceived an immigration quotas plan whose aim was to give equal treatment to all races and peoples. The Immigration Restriction League, had no other choice than to recognize Gulick's large success in lobbying his plan. Yet, in a last move, the IRL succeeded to maintain the exclusion of Asians in what became the Emergency Quota Act of 1921. Far from Eugenist influence, this Act is the product of a battle between non racist and racist restrictionists upon the means and goals of immigration control. During years, they were permanently engaged into fierce political battles whose outcome had a significant impact on immigration restriction policies. Adapted from the source document.