Reading and Writing Tests Were Given to Many U.S. Immigrants in 1917 by Smithsonian.Com, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 02.22.17 Word Count 680

Reading and writing tests were given to many U.S. immigrants in 1917 By Smithsonian.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.22.17 Word Count 680

Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in New York Harbor in 1931\. Photo from: Wikimedia Commons

For as long as the United States has been a country, immigrants have come here from other lands. They have hoped to start new lives. They have hoped to become Americans.

"America welcomes us, but Americans push us away,” is an old immigrant saying. Today, some immigrants are feeling particularly unwelcome. President Donald Trump wants to kick illegal immigrants out and keep others from entering.

This is not the rst time some have tried to keep immigrants out. Exactly 100 years ago, Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917. It was approved against the wishes of President Woodrow Wilson.

Businesses Benefited From Immigrant Workers

In the years before 1917, millions of immigrants from Europe had poured into the United States. At the time, many businesses were booming and were badly in need of workers.

Some people appreciated the immigrants for their hard work and their contributions to American society. However, Congress saw things differently.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1 Many members of Congress feared that immigrants would take jobs away from native-born Americans. They did not like the unfamiliar ways of life that the immigrants brought with them.

Passing The Test Might Be A Way In

The 1917 act required immigrants to pass a literacy test, proving they could read and write. The test was seen as a way of keeping out Southern and Eastern Europeans.

The act also barred all immigrants from Asia.

The literacy test that was part of the 1917 act was based on the ideas of eugenics. It required immigrants to read and write a passage from the U.S. Constitution. But it did not do much to keep out newcomers.

Many members of Congress wanted the test to be in English. Instead, it could be in any language, and passages were short. If a man could read and write but his wife and children could not, they could all still get into the country.

Supporters of the literacy test believed it would prevent many unwanted people from entering the country. In fact, only a small number were turned away because of the test.

Mixed Feelings 100 Years Later

Because the 1917 act did not do much to lower the number of immigrants, a new system was put into place in 1921. The new system used quotas for each country. A quota is a ﬁxed number.

Under the new quota system, more than 50,000 Germans could enter the country every year. However, fewer than 4,000 Italians were allowed in. The law continued to completely ban immigrants from East Asia.

Mixed feelings about immigration are almost as American as immigration itself, Kraut says. Americans recognize the contributions immigrants make. However, many also fear that immigrants will take jobs from native-born Americans and bring unfamiliar ways of life.

Under President Donald Trump, the ﬂow of immigrants might be reduced, Kraut says. However, a push in the other direction is already happening. Many Americans still want immigrants to feel welcome.