Posted on 02/05/2017 7:19:03 AM PST by Kid Shelleen
With more than a two-thirds majority, Congress overrides President Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the previous week and passes the Immigration Act. The law required a literacy test for immigrants and barred Asiatic laborers, except for those from countries with special treaties or agreements with the United States, such as the Philippines.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States received a majority of the world’s immigrants, with 1.3 million immigrants passing through New York’s Ellis Island in 1907 alone. Various restrictions had been applied against immigrants since the 1890s, but most of those seeking entrance into the United States were accepted.
(Excerpt) Read more at history.com ...
There are no parallels to today's situation
Sarcasm. That was sarcasm.
My Grandparents came from Poland and Hungry. They could not speak english but learned on their own and worked hard to become citizens. My Hungarian Grandfather volunteered for WWI. Both sets of Grandparents flew huge American flags from their front porches on holidays. Big difference from today.
When Congress actually did the will of the people.
You have pointed out something of huge importance. The people coming for Muslim countries often have no intention of assimilating into American culture. Your elder generation immigrants and most others loved the county.
Why did Wilson veto it? He was a virulent racist. There has to be a story behind that veto. Maybe the bill didn’t go far enough, in his opinion.
From Wilson’s veto message to congress, Jan. 28, 1915:
“...and it excludes those to whom the opportunities of elementary education have been denied, without regard to their character, their purposes, or their natural capacity.”
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=65386
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