Calvin Coolidge, Presidential Proclamation on Immigration Quotas (1924)

Question

A Proclamation
Whereas it is provided in the act of Congress approved May 26, 1924, entitled "An act to limit the immigration of aliens into the United States, and for other purposes" that "The annual quota of any nationality shall be two per centum of the number of foreign-born individuals of such nationality resident in continental United States as determined by the United States Census of 1890, but the minimum quota of any nationality shall be 100 (Sec. 11 a). . . .
. . .
Now, therefore I, Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States of America acting under and by virtue of the power in me vested by the aforesaid act of Congress, do hereby proclaim and make known that on and after July 1, 1924, and throughout the fiscal year 1924–1925, the quota of each nationality provided in said act shall be as follows:

COUNTRY OR AREA OF BIRTH QUOTA 1924–1925
[selected countries]
China–100
France (1, 5, 6)–3,954
Germany–51,227
Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1, 3, 5, 6)–34,007
Greece–100
Hungary–473
Japan–100
GENERAL NOTE. The immigration quotas assigned to the various countries and quota-areas should not be regarded as having any political significance whatever, or as involving recognition of new governments, or of new boundaries, or of transfers of territory except as the United States Government has already made such recognition in a formal and official manner. . . . Calvin Coolidge.

(a) In 1–2 sentences, explain how this excerpt reflects domestic challenges faced by the U.S. government in the 1920s.
(b) In 2–3 sentences, explain the significance of the differences in the country quotas.
(c) In 2–3 sentences, explain how these country quotas reflected broader American opinions and prejudices about certain immigrant groups in this period.

Answer 1

a) This excerpt reflects domestic challenges faced by the U.S. government in the 1920s related to controlling immigration and limiting the number of foreigners entering the country.
b) The differences in the country quotas reflect the U.S. government's perception of each country's economic and social value and their potential impact on American society.
c) These country quotas reflected broader American opinions and prejudices about certain immigrant groups in this period, as some nations were given significantly higher quotas than others despite having similar numbers of residents already in the United States. This demonstrates how prejudice and national identity influenced U.S. immigration policy during this era.