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The Declaration of Independence was established to separate America from the naturalization of England. This allowed America to opportunity to choose its own government and equally protect its human rights. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/declaration-of-independence
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This is the first law passed regarding who should be U.S. citizens. The law allowed free white people who lived in the U.S. for at least two years, with good character, the right to apply for citizenship. Non-white residents were denied protections including the right to vote, own property and testify in court.
https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/immigration-united-states-timeline -
This treaty extended citizenship to the occupants of the land acquired by the U.S. after the Mexican War. This includes states that we now know as California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and parts of Arizona and Colorado. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo
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The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, however, it did not grant full right citizenship to former slaves. This amendment was also the first acknowledgement of slavery within the Constitution. This amendment was also the result of the Black Codes law being passed. https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1524
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The 14th Amendment granted all people the right to citizenship who were born or naturalized in the U.S. People also shouldn't be deprived of life, liberty or property. This amendment ultimately provided equal protections of citizens under the law. https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1524
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This act extended naturalization rights to non-U.S. born African slaves. Thus, making it illegal for states to discriminate during voter registrations based on race, color or previous servitude conditions. While the law integrated African Americans, the population of Asians remained excluded. https://immigrationhistory.org/item/naturalization-act-of-1870/
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This was the first law restricting immigration. The law hindered Chinese laborers from entering the U.S., skilled or unskilled and made it is increasingly difficult for Chinese people who were already in the U.S. to leave and then re-enter.
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/chinese-exclusion-act -
In the case of the U.S. version Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court ruled that any child born in the U.S. is a U.S. citizen, regardless of the parent's race or their citizenship status. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/169/649
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Under the Jones-Shafroth Act, Puerto Rico residents were granted U.S. citizenship by Congress, which meant it was not constitutionally guaranteed. However, this did qualify Puerto Ricans to join the U.S. Army. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/puerto-ricans-become-u-s-citizens-are-recruited-for-war-effort
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The act was considered an emergency to establish a quota for immigrants based on their national origin. This act was in response to the chaos that followed the influx of immigrations during the end of World War I. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/emergency-quota-act-of-1921-immigration-law
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The Indian Citizenship Act granted citizenship to Native American's who were born in the U.S., but the act didn't grant Native Americans the right to vote. As a native group of people who existed in the land prior to its discovery, I've always been curious to understand why wasn't citizenship automatically granted. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/june-02/
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This act required each alien within the U.S. to register their status within a four-month period at a local post office. The registration included fingerprints and fifteen questions. Children under fourteen, some diplomats and employees of foreign governments were excluded from the registration process. https://historyhub.history.gov/genealogy/immigration-and-naturalization-records/b/immigration-naturalization-blog/posts/1940-alien-registration
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The Immigration and Nationality Act eliminates race as a measurement of immigration and citizenship. However, there have been many amendments since its initial creation. https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/legislation/immigration-and-nationality-act
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This act caused a significant change in the demographics of the U.S. due its removal of race, ancestry and national origin which resulted in an increase of immigrants within the U.S.
https://www.illegalimmigration.com/hart-celler-act/ -
This act requires employers to verify a person's right to work in the U.S. Thus, making it unlawful to hire an immigrant who's unauthorized to work. https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/senate-bill/1200