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Courts only saw white men as eligible for citizenship.
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Courts only saw white people as eligible for citizenship.
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The Naturalization Act of 1790, or the Nationality Act, was the first law to specify requirements for and grant citizenship by naturalization. Congress only allowed this right to "free white persons." However, this really meant this right was for free white men who owned property. This means the act excluded women, people of color, and indentured servants. The residency requirement was two years. https://immigrationhistory.org/item/1790-nationality-act/
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The Naturalization Act of 1795 repealed and replaced the first Naturalization Act. It changed and raised the residency requirement to five years and required a declaration of intention to be an American citizen at least three years before naturalization. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-history-of-naturalization-requirements-1951956
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The Naturalization Act of 1798 was the first of four laws known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. It raised the residency requirement to fourteen years. Because America and France were on the verge of war, Federalists in Congress were guarded and felt the acts were necessary to ensure the safety of America. https://www.politico.com/story/2009/06/adams-signs-naturalization-act-june-18-1798-023850
https://www.immigrationtounitedstates.org/332-alien-and-sedition-acts-of-1798 -
Congress passed the Act of 1802 which reduced the residency requirement back to five years. The Act of 1802 was, "the last major piece of naturalization legislation during the 19th century." (socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu) Many revisions were introduced, but the naturalization procedure remained the same. https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/federal/naturalization-process-in-u-s-early-history
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The original naturalization laws only allowed "free white persons" to become citizens. Although "free white persons" does not specify sex, it really means "free white property owning men." In 1804, "the law began to draw distinctions regarding married women in naturalization laws." (archives.gov)
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"...citizenship was automatically granted to alien wives of U.S. citizens (10 Stat. 604)..." (socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu) https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/federal/naturalization-process-in-u-s-early-history/#:~:text=On%20September%2022%2C%201922%2C%20Congress%20enacted%20a%20law,became%20U.S.%20citizens%20by%20reason%20of%20the%20marriage.
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The 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship for all persons born in the United States and helped ensure African Americans would have equal treatment. (immigrationhistory.com)
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"...the naturalization process was opened to persons of African descent (16 Stat. 256)." (socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu) https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/federal/naturalization-process-in-u-s-early-history
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This act took citizenship from women born in the U.S. if they married an immigrant man. "That any American woman who marries a foreigner shall take the nationality of her husband." (immigationhistory.com) https://immigrationhistory.org/item/an-act-in-reference-to-the-expatriation-of-citizens-and-their-protection-abroad/
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The government of California and many other western sates enacted laws the banned "aliens ineligible for citizenship" from owning or leasing property. The laws were enacted to target Japanese Americans because of their economic success in agriculture.
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This law, also known as the Cable Act, granted woman the ability to become eligible to naturalize with similar terms as men. The terms were "similar" because if was woman was married to a man who had already been naturalized, it was unnecessary for her to file a declaration of intention. She could become naturalized with just a petition (archives.gov). Any woman who lost their citizenship because of the Expatriation Act regained it under the Cable Act (archives.gov).
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The Immigration Act of 1924, "limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota," which excluded immigrants from Asia (history.state.gov)
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The Immigration and Nationality Act contains many of the most important provisions of immigration law (uscis.gov). One example is it eliminated the exclusion of Asians immigrating to the U.S. (history.state.gov)
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Today, to meet the requirements to become a U.S. Citizen through naturalization, one must:
-Have had a Green Card for a least 5 years, or 3 years if you are the spouse of a U.S. Citizen
-Meet the eligibility requirements
-Go through the 10-step naturalization process https://www.usa.gov/become-us-citizen -
The U.S. Citizenship Act creates a path for citizenship for certain undocumented individuals (congress.gov). Section 3 of the bill replaced the use of the term "alien" with "noncitizen" in the Immigration and Nationality Act.