‘And We Got Here First’: Albert Johnson,National Origins and Self-Interest in the Immigration Debate of the 1920s

Abstract

Congressman Albert Johnson was co-sponsor of the 1924 Immigration Act — the so-called National Origins Act. Partly as a result of this, he has been considered one of the arch-advocates of a more restrictive immigration policy in early twentieth-century America. Closer examination proves his stance to be more reasoned than his reputation would suggest. Such scrutiny shows him to be no less committed to restriction and reveals some unpleasant political and racial views and language. But detailed reading also shows that his arguments, political techniques and rhetoric seem somewhat closer to their mainstream modern equivalents than has frequently been acknowledged. What emerges from inspection of Johnson’s stance is that he is dealing with a far less united and unified lobby in favour of immigration control and a far more effective opposition to such measures throughout the 1920s. As in so many other crucial political debates, self-interest emerges as the key consideration, and not only from Johnson’s perspective.