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Treaty of Hidalgo
With the Mexican-Americn War settled. The U.S. gave Mexicans the option to either become U.S. Citizens or keep their Mexican citizenships. 80,000 Mexicans decided to become U.S. Citizens. -
Foreign Miner's Tax
The Gold Rush in California increases immigration from China, as well as migration from the eastern United States. California imposes Foreign Minerʼs Tax and enforces it mainly against
Chinese and Mexican miners, who were often forced to pay more than once. -
Ellis Island opens
Ellis Island opens in New York harbor that processes over 12 million immigrants, mainly Europeans over the next 30 years. -
Mexican Revolution
Forces many Mexicans to relocate north into the U.S. as refugees. Over 890,000 were forced to be relocated. -
Mexican Repatriation
During the Great Depression there was a mass deportation of Mexican/Mexican-American people in the U.S. -
Immigration Policy Changes made for WW2
War changes U.S. immigration policy in order to get as many soldiers as possible, making them eligible for the military draft. -
Bracero Program
(http://braceroarchive.org/about)Because of the shortage of agricultural workers caused by the war, congress creates the Bracero
Program, a guest-worker program bringing temporary workers into the United States from Mexico. -
War Brides Act
(http://library.uwb.edu/static/USimmigration/1945_war_brides_act.html) War Brides Act allows foreign-born wives of U.S. citizens who had served in the U.S.armed forces to enter the United States. Fiancees of soldiers are admitted the next year. -
Cold War Initiates the Internal Security Act of 1950
(http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O126-TheMcCarranInternlScrtyct.html)The Internal Security Act of 1950 bars admission to any foreigner who is a Communist or who might engage in activities “which would be prejudicial to the public interest, or would endanger the welfare or safety of the United States." -
Operation Wet Back
(https://1950immigration.wordpress.com/operation-wetback/)
The need for Mexican labor decreases after WWII because of the returning soldiers. As
a result of the downturn in the economy, immigrants are blamed for taking American jobs and some
are deported. -
Immigration and Nationality Act
(http://library.uwb.edu/static/USimmigration/1965_immigration_and_nationality_act.html) Immigration and Nationality Act changes the preference system from that in 1924 to place priority on employable skills and familial relationships. The law is passed with the intent to make the immigration system at least seem more fair toward people of color, but the authors did not
foresee the radical consequences that it would have on the demographics of the United States. -
Cesar Chavez Hunger Strike
(http://www.biography.com/people/cesar-chavez-9245781)
Cesar Chavez fast in the Santa Rita Hall in Arizona, in response to House Bill 2134, a law that prohibits farm workers from protesting during harvest season. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
(http://library.uwb.edu/static/USimmigration/1986_immigration_reform_and_control_act.html) The aim of IRCA was to make it difficult for undocumented immigrants
to find employment, while at the same time providing business with a reliable supply of cheap labor. IRCA also gave “amnesty” to 3 million undocumented immigrants, mostly Mexicans
and Central Americans. -
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
(http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/577-illegal-immigration-reform-and-immigrant-responsibility-act-of-1996.html)
INS enforcement operations, eliminates basic rights of due process for immigrants and cuts down on avenues for immigrants to legalize their status -
SB1070
(http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/analysis-of-arizonas-immigration-law.aspx)
The Arizona act additionally made it a state misdemeanor for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents. It also required that state law enforcement officers attempt to determine an individual's immigration status during a "lawful stop, detention or arrest", when there is reasonable suspicion.
