Post-World War II Immigration to the United States: America's Latest Newcomers

Abstract

During the 1920s, Congress drastically curtailed immigration from Europe and barred Asians. The Johnson- Reed Act of 1924 completed the restictions and established the national origins system. After World War II, Congress reaffirmed that system with the enactment of the McCarran- Walter Act in 1952. But Congress also began to liberalize im migration policy, largely on a piecemeal basis. In 1965, Con gress repealed the national origins quotas and restrictions against Asians and substituted a preference system based upon family unification, occupations, and refugee status. Still other changes in the 1970s modified the immigration laws further and permitted additional immigrants to enter. The changes in policy led to an increase in the number of immi grants arriving and also led to shifting patterns of immigration. Immigrants coming after 1945 were more apt to be refugees and to be of higher skills than before. And the majority were now female. From 1945 to 1965, most European immigrants were from northern and western European countries, but by the 1970s, southern and eastern European nations supplied the bulk of European immigrants to America. After 1965 another important shift was apparent: Third World nations re placed Europe as the major sending regions, and by the late 1970s, the vast majority of America's latest newcomers were from the Third World.