"Americans are confronted then with two schools of thought, both having large followings and virile leaders, and each of which is being urged as the basis of permanent immigration policy of the United States. On only one thing they are all agreed, which is that provision should be made for a better system of selecting admissible Immigrants than is accomplished either under the present [1921 Immigration Act\ law or any previous legislation."
– 'Alien Quota Fight in Next Congress.' 1924. [1\
Attempted CompromisesCongress debated and negotiated multiple attempts at legislation to compromise between the demanding arguments from both sides.
"Chairman Colt of the Senate Immigration Committee introduced in behalf of the N.A.M. (National Association of Manufacturers) a bill retaining the quota system but permitting the entry of additional immigrants in periods of labor shortage. (The N.A.M. regarded this as a first step toward a genuinely flexible policy.) |
"Will not change Immigration Law." New York Times, 1924. [3]
|
An Unfair Compromise
These acts marked a pivotal turning point in American immigration policy, so reaching a compromise was strenuous and hard fought, however, in the end, they were decisively partial to anti-immigration.
|
"A study of the American immigration laws from 1882, when the first federal statute on that subject was passed, down to 1921, when the Dillingham Quota Act was put on statute books, discloses an ever increasing tendency to place restrictions on immigration, and certainly there are no signs in evidence now which would encourage the belief that the people of America are ready for a reversal of the policy which they have been developing for 40 years. " - "Alien Quota Fight in Next Congress." 1924 [4\ |
Defenders of immigrants had to settle for the severe restriction the bills brought, unable to fight fairly, due to the overwhelming attitudes in America and the sheer number of supporters.
"Support for restriction in Congress became overwhelming. Not all supporters were 100-percent Americanists, but few could resist the combination of nativism, job scarcity, and anti-Bolshevism that fueled the politics of restriction" – Mae M. Ngai, "Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of America." 2004 [5\
On the other hand, immigration was not cut off completely, which a number of anti-immigrants had wanted. Both extremes of immigration were avoided, partly due in fact, that major figures, such as Calvin Coolidge acknowledged immigrants could be assimilated, and could be beneficial.
|
"It would be well to make such immigration of a selective nature with some inspection at the source, and based either on a prior census or upon the record of naturalization. Either method would insure the admission of those with the largest capacity and best intention of becoming citizens" – Coolidge's first annual message, 1923 [7\ |