Here is a little bit of history preceding the Acts of 1965: In the early 1900s, South Asians, mainly Punjabi laborers, migrated to the United States and worked along the Pacific Coast. They were often targets of anti-Asian xenophobes who believed that Asians were a threat. It was argued that they were cheap laborers and dangerous individuals who were a threat to national security. They were prohibited from owning land or leasing land. Many were driven out of cities and towns.
During WWII, the United States alliance with India created changes in these immigration and discriminatory acts. The Luce-Celler Act of 1946 gave South Asians the right to become naturalized citizens. However, discriminatory national origins quotas were still in effect. This limited India’s immigration to 100 people per year.
The 1964 Immigration Act was a product of the Civil Rights movement in the US. The act banned discrimination on the basis of sex, race, nationality, and place of birth when granting immigrant visas. Now, the laws were based on a system of preference that prioritized professional status and family reunification. Although it may not have been Congress’s intention, individuals from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh came in increasing numbers.
In this time, India worked to expand its education systems and created many educated workers that were then able to compete in a growing, global market. Immigration from India doubled every decade.
My grandpa fell under this educated category and was able to integrate fairly easily into American society. They are proud Punjabis but equally proud Americans.
I really like how you related this law to your own family history. I found it interesting that this Immigration Act had a large impact on America in that the composition of American demographics were able to significantly diversify, in contrast with the expectations of the initial proponents of the act. Considering the current situation on US immigration, I wonder whether or not the current policies will have a similarly enduring effect on the future, positive or negative.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1965
This was a very interesting article that showed how the civil rights movement had such a large impact for the Punjabis. I think it's terrible how they had to fight to become naturalized citizens, after the Supreme Court ruled that it was impossible for them to do so in Bhagat Singh Thind (1923). It's good that the U.S. was eventually able to see past this and allow for them to gain naturalization as well as other rights which were long overdue.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/261/204/
I really liked that you presented a personal story to really demonstrate the significance of acts such as this. I'm glad it helped diversify this country and as an immigrant myself I'm interested to see what laws allowed for me to come to this country.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you integrated what we are learning with a personal story. I find it interesting that the Immigration Act essentially "nullified" the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 which limited the number of immigrants from India per year that could come into the US. Because this was at the time of the CRM, it shows progress and change among the citizens.
ReplyDeleteI liked how to connected your anecdote to American history. I also like how you touched on how biases against Punjabis still exists today. This is important because some white people think that racism is a thing of the past.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that you were able to connect a personal story to a very interesting piece of history. I also found it interesting to read about how the laws of immigration have changed throughout history.
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