100 Years Later, How Has The Immigration Act of 1924 Changed America?

100 Years Later, How Has The Immigration Act of 1924 Changed America?
A panel discussion hosted by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum

Join us on Thursday November 14, 2024 at 6:30 PM in the Coolidge Museum or livestream on You Tube.  The program will be recorded.  

One hundred years ago, President Calvin Coolidge signed what was arguably the most controversial and consequential bill of his administration: "An Act To limit the immigration of aliens into the United States, and for other purposes," often referred to as "The Immigration Act of 1924."

As described by the U.S. State Department's Office of the Historian, "The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. The quota provided immigration visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia," but did not "establish quotas of any kind for residents of the Western Hemisphere." The national origin quota system would remain in effect until "The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965" overhauled America's immigration policies.

How did the law change America over the course of the last 100 years? Did the law work as its authors intended? Even though the quota system has been replaced, to what extent is the law's restrictionist philosophy continuing to impact policy and national sentiment towards immigrants?

To help answer these questions, the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum will be exploring the history of immigration in America over the last 100 years with two immigration experts.

Dr. Rebecca Hamlin (University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science) focuses her research on law and immigration politics, and migrant categorization and the concept of a refugee. She is currently researching the intersection between immigration restrictionism and the expansion of Native American citizenship in 1924. She recently published the book "Crossing: How We Label and React to People on the Move."

Dr. Razvan "Raz" Sibii (University of Massachusetts Amherst - Senior Lecturer II in Journalism) researches and writes about issues of language, identity construction, immigration and incarceration. He writes a monthly column about immigration for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and is a regular contributor to several Romanian-language publications.

The discussion will be moderated by Bill Scher, Vice President of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum Standing Committee. It will be held in person at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum, and will also be live streamed.  Video of the event will be made available on the Forbes Library YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/live/jkST4Z6Q--k