Eugenics, Citizenship, and Immigration “ T here is an irreconcilable resistance to amalgamation and social equality that cannot be ignored. ” -Representative Clarence F. Lea, 1924 “ T here is an irreconcilable resistance to amalgamation and social equality that cannot be ignored. ” -Representative Clarence F. Lea, 1924

Immigration  Peaked during the Progressive Era ( )  Before 1890: immigration primarily from Northwestern Europe (Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Holland)  : South and Eastern Europe (Austria- Hungary, Italy, Russia, Greece, Romania, Turkey)  Majority were non-Protestant, spoke unfamiliar languages  Peaked during the Progressive Era ( )  Before 1890: immigration primarily from Northwestern Europe (Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Holland)  : South and Eastern Europe (Austria- Hungary, Italy, Russia, Greece, Romania, Turkey)  Majority were non-Protestant, spoke unfamiliar languages

How Immigrants Were Viewed  Competition for jobs, housing, and public services  Threatened prosperous Americans by crowding the largest cities  Bred “crime and disease;” caused social problems instead of being the victims of them  Competition for jobs, housing, and public services  Threatened prosperous Americans by crowding the largest cities  Bred “crime and disease;” caused social problems instead of being the victims of them

Definition of Citizenship  After the Civil War, “whites” and “persons of African descent” were eligible for citizenship  In some cases, everyone not black was considered white, but  Takao Ozawa, a Japanese immigrant, was denied citizenship by the Supreme Court in 1922 because he was “white” but not “Caucasian”  The Supreme Court also denied citizenship from Singh Thind, a Hindu, because he was “Caucasian” but not “white”  After the Civil War, “whites” and “persons of African descent” were eligible for citizenship  In some cases, everyone not black was considered white, but  Takao Ozawa, a Japanese immigrant, was denied citizenship by the Supreme Court in 1922 because he was “white” but not “Caucasian”  The Supreme Court also denied citizenship from Singh Thind, a Hindu, because he was “Caucasian” but not “white”

Eugenicists’ Goals  Stop the decline of American intelligence  “insure a…progressive upward evolution”  Define citizenship based on race  Stop the immigration of Eastern Europeans and others “polluting” America  Prevent the immigration of anyone who “might prove costly to society”  Stop the decline of American intelligence  “insure a…progressive upward evolution”  Define citizenship based on race  Stop the immigration of Eastern Europeans and others “polluting” America  Prevent the immigration of anyone who “might prove costly to society”

Supporters of Immigration Restriction  Boston-based Immigration Restriction League; pushed for immigrants to pass a literacy test  President Calvin Coolidge; “Restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely a defensive action.” —1924  Boston-based Immigration Restriction League; pushed for immigrants to pass a literacy test  President Calvin Coolidge; “Restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely a defensive action.” —1924

Direct Causes of Restriction  “Outbreaks of smallpox, typhus and cholera in New York” increase scrutiny of immigrants  Fear of spies and the openness of borders creates anxiety during WWI  A statement by Leon Kamaiky that essentially said 3 million Polish Jews would come to America if given the means  “Outbreaks of smallpox, typhus and cholera in New York” increase scrutiny of immigrants  Fear of spies and the openness of borders creates anxiety during WWI  A statement by Leon Kamaiky that essentially said 3 million Polish Jews would come to America if given the means

Strategies of Eugenicists  Used “graphs, pedigree charts, and the results of hundreds of IQ tests” to provide shocking scientific evidence  Use graphics, such as pictures from Ellis Island  Call immigrants degrading names, such as “Carriers of the Germ Plasm of the Future American Population”  A Study of American Intelligence by Carl Brigham, which provided a “scientific rationale”  Used “graphs, pedigree charts, and the results of hundreds of IQ tests” to provide shocking scientific evidence  Use graphics, such as pictures from Ellis Island  Call immigrants degrading names, such as “Carriers of the Germ Plasm of the Future American Population”  A Study of American Intelligence by Carl Brigham, which provided a “scientific rationale”

Harry Laughlin  Used statistics, charts, graphics, etc. from the ERO to present the immigration problem to the House Committee on Immigration  Appointed Expert Eugenics Agent by the committee  Influenced Representatives to oppose immigration  Used statistics, charts, graphics, etc. from the ERO to present the immigration problem to the House Committee on Immigration  Appointed Expert Eugenics Agent by the committee  Influenced Representatives to oppose immigration

Challengers to the Eugenicists  Herbert Spencer Jennings  Testified before Congress about Laughlin’s flawed statistics; testimony cut short  Ignored in favor of Laughlin’s “lurid findings”  Representative Adolph J. Sabath  Argued for assimilation in a Congressional debate  Dr. Frederick Lam  Worked to convince officials that liver fluke, a common disease among Chinese immigrants, was noncommunicable  Herbert Spencer Jennings  Testified before Congress about Laughlin’s flawed statistics; testimony cut short  Ignored in favor of Laughlin’s “lurid findings”  Representative Adolph J. Sabath  Argued for assimilation in a Congressional debate  Dr. Frederick Lam  Worked to convince officials that liver fluke, a common disease among Chinese immigrants, was noncommunicable

Immigration Policies  Immigration Restriction Act of 1924  Scale the number of immigrants down by allowing only 2% of each group’s population in the US according to the census of 1890  Reduced quota of Southern and Eastern Europeans from 45% to 15%  Coolidge rallied support with his slogan “America must remain American”  Deportation of foreigners with ailments, even non-communicable diseases  Immigration Restriction Act of 1924  Scale the number of immigrants down by allowing only 2% of each group’s population in the US according to the census of 1890  Reduced quota of Southern and Eastern Europeans from 45% to 15%  Coolidge rallied support with his slogan “America must remain American”  Deportation of foreigners with ailments, even non-communicable diseases

Effects of These Policies  Immigration from Asia and Africa is essentially cut off  Source of immigrants returns to former areas  Ends the era of the most immigration in history  Immigration from Asia and Africa is essentially cut off  Source of immigrants returns to former areas  Ends the era of the most immigration in history

Modern Repercussions  Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 replaces the racism of the 1924 act  New system “gives preferences to refugees…people with relatives in the United States, and workers with needed skills  Only 16% of foreign-born people now come from Europe  Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 replaces the racism of the 1924 act  New system “gives preferences to refugees…people with relatives in the United States, and workers with needed skills  Only 16% of foreign-born people now come from Europe

Sources  “The Self Made Man” “The Self Made Man”  Harry Laughlin Harry Laughlin  Pie Charts Pie Charts  Immigrant Picture Immigrant Picture  Social Origins of Eugenics Social Origins of Eugenics  Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement  “The Self Made Man” “The Self Made Man”  Harry Laughlin Harry Laughlin  Pie Charts Pie Charts  Immigrant Picture Immigrant Picture  Social Origins of Eugenics Social Origins of Eugenics  Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement