Race, Immigration, and Public Policy: The Case of Asian Americans

Abstract

ABSTRACT Race is one of the most defining characteristics for American society, and it has figured prominently in immigration policy throughout U.S. history. The first law related to immigration was the Naturalization Act of 1790, which restricted naturalized citizenship to “whites.” During the nineteenth century, increasing immigration from Asian countries began, first with the Chinese and later with the Japanese, Asian Indians, and Filipinos. During periods of need for cheap labor, these immigration streams were initially welcomed. However, during economic declines, hostility increased toward Asian immigrants, leading to restrictive public policy. These exclusionary policies began with the Page Law of 1875 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, culminating in the National Origins Quota Law of 1924, which virtually excluded all Asians from immigration to the U.S. It was not until 1952 that the situation began to change and that most foreign-born Asians were allowed to become naturalized U.S. citizens. During the past thirty years, the Asian American population has increased dramatically, largely because of increased immigration. Awareness of the history of exclusionary public policy needs to be kept alive, particularly now that concerns are increasingly being voiced by some national leaders about immigration. These latest outcries reflect the nativism and racism of the past and can already be seen in current legislation directly about immigration policy as well as indirectly through restrictions on immigrants' access to human services through public welfare policies.