Immigration Concerns America was still considered the land of opportunity for those abroad, and many continued to come in search of the “streets lined in gold.”

Immigration Changes After WWI, immigrants continued to flood into America in search of the American dream. War-torn Europe pushed many to America’s shores, but many were also coming from Asia and other, less popular, parts of the world. This change in the appearance of America rattled many “pure” Americans, and conflict and political action would address these concerns.

Ideas of Anarchy Those against immigration often attacked anyone with different ideas. For new immigrants, it was especially hard to come into America and speak out about the changes they proposed. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were radical anarchists. They advocated revolution to bring the people more power, free from the restraint of a government. When a robbery occurred in their neighborhood, the two men were put on trial and convicted on the robbery and murder charges. Despite reviews of the trial that showed bias and discrimination, and protestors in their defense, they were both executed for crimes they most likely did not commit, simply because they were immigrants with different ideas.

Political Changes on Immigration As America came out of WWI, they found themselves in fear of many new ideas. Some feared the spread of communism, allowing many to be run out of America in the Palmer Raids as a result of the “Red Scare.” Others, including the outspoken KKK, pushed for legislation that would limit the number of immigrants that came from undesirable regions of the world. The Immigration Act of 1921 was the first to limit immigration, setting a quota on the number of those coming from areas unwanted in America by the “pure Americans.”

National Origins Act Following the Immigration Act of 1921, the National Origins Act went further to limit the number of immigrants coming from undesirable nations. It also excluded Asian immigration completely, shutting the doors for those coming into the Pacific Coast from China and Japan. By the 1930s, this law had brought immigration down to a very small amount in comparison to the earlier 20s, but also limited immigration to groups who would need life-saving immigration in the new era.